Cranfield: a melting pot of diversity

Cranfield, a place I couldn’t initially find on the map just six months back, is now my home. No matter how much I complain about the apparently boring and mundane daily life here, I am secretly in love with this beautiful and peaceful sanctuary. What attracts me most about Cranfield is its amazing diversity. I see this diversity in three aspects: people, academics, and the campus itself. Let me elaborate on this below.

The first and most evident diversity is in terms of the people from many different countries. Our class, MSc in Strategic Marketing, consists of 47 students coming from 17 different countries. My learning team, people I work with almost every day, is made up with a Greek guy, an Armenian girl, two Chinese girls, a Taiwanese girl, and a Bangladeshi guy (yours truly). Imagine the amazing amalgamation of ideas and experiences that we go through on a regular basis! This international nature of Cranfield makes it a truly special place to meet and really know people from all across the globe.

Next is the diversity of academics. Cranfield is one of the most distinguished places in the world for certain engineering subjects like aerospace, automotive etc. Then again, the School of Management also holds its own with the very best of the world in business and management education. It is quite unique for a single university to have global reputation in such diversified areas of knowledge. This effectively creates an environment where people from polar opposite areas of expertise come together in the same place and share their ideas and experiences.

Lastly comes the diversity of the environment at Cranfield. On one hand we have all these hi-tech laboratories and research facilities spread all around. There is even a functional airport here on campus (you have got to see it to believe it)! However, on the other hand, the beautiful greenery of the campus makes me feel so close to nature. Especially the fall season looked gorgeous here! Being far away from the hustle and bustle of the city also helps in this case. This calmness and peacefulness makes it the perfect place to dedicate full attention to your studies. Cranfield is a testimony to the fact that technology and nature can have a harmonious coexistence if managed responsibly.

Overall, I find Cranfield to be a melting pot of people, ideas, knowledge, and environment. When I first came here, I felt so bad about being thousands of miles away from home. Now I feel bad thinking that I will have to leave this place behind in just a few more months. That’s how Cranfield grows on you, slowly but surely.