When two worlds meet, everyone learns

What happens when students from Manchester and Mumbai spend a week learning not about each other, but with each other?

For six undergraduate students from Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), UK, and six Sitaras from SPJIMR’s Abhyudaya initiative, the answer unfolded over seven days in Mumbai through conversation, collaboration, community visits, and shared experiences that challenged assumptions and built lasting connections.

Held from May 23–29, 2026, Project Saathi marked the first collaboration between SPJIMR’s Abhyudaya initiative and Manchester Metropolitan University. Designed as an immersive cross-cultural learning experience, the programme paired MMU students with Abhyudaya’s Sitaras, high-potential young students from underserved communities in Mumbai’s K-West ward, for a week centred on empathy, mutual learning, and meaningful human connection.

Project Saathi reflected a shared belief held by both institutions: that some of the most powerful learning happens through authentic relationships and lived experiences rather than within the confines of a classroom.

Beginning with the Sitaras

The programme officially opened on Monday, May 25, at the Abhyudaya Centre on SPJIMR’s Mumbai campus. In a deliberate departure from traditional academic exchanges, the welcome was led not by faculty members or administrators, but by the Sitaras themselves.

From the outset, participants were encouraged to engage as equals. Each MMU student was paired with a Sitara, and together they embarked on a week-long journey of learning, reflection, and creative collaboration.

The structure of the programme was intentional. Participants moved through a carefully designed progression — from orientation and relationship-building to immersion in community life, followed by reflection and presentation.

Learning through lived experiences

For the Sitaras, the arrival of students from the United Kingdom offered exposure to new perspectives, international friendships, and the opportunity to engage confidently with peers from a different cultural context.

For the MMU students, the programme provided a window into the realities, aspirations, and challenges experienced by young people growing up in one of Mumbai’s most densely populated urban communities.

What emerged quickly was a shared recognition that many concerns transcend geography: academic pressure, questions about identity, career aspirations, family expectations, and the search for purpose. The programme demonstrated that while circumstances may differ, many human experiences remain remarkably universal.

Inside Project Saathi: A week of immersion

Throughout the week, participants worked together on creative projects, educational ‘zines’, reflective exercises, and community-based learning activities.

Programme highlights

The power of a home visit

Among the most memorable experiences of the week were the community home visits.

By stepping into the homes and neighbourhoods where the Sitaras live, MMU students gained a deeper understanding of the social and economic contexts that shape their lives. Conversations about inequality, opportunity, resilience, and aspiration moved beyond theory and statistics to become personal and tangible.

For the Sitaras and their families, hosting international visitors was equally meaningful. It offered an opportunity to share their stories, celebrate their achievements, and engage with the world on their own terms.

The visits reinforced one of Abhyudaya’s core principles: meaningful understanding begins with human connection.

Creating together

A distinctive feature of Project Saathi was its emphasis on collaborative creation. Each pair worked together throughout the week to develop a creative artefact in the form of a ‘zine’ exploring themes such as culture, education, identity, aspirations, and everyday life. These projects were not academic assignments. Instead, they became visual records of dialogue, discovery, and friendship.

By the end of the week, the completed artefacts reflected something deeper than creativity alone: they captured the process of two individuals learning to understand each other’s perspectives while finding common ground.

The week culminated in presentations at SPJIMR’s Gyan Auditorium, where each pair shared its work and reflected on key learnings from the experience.

What participants gained

Project Saathi was designed not only as a cultural immersion but also as a leadership-learning experience.

Participants developed:

For both groups, the programme offered insights that cannot easily be replicated through textbooks, lectures, or classroom discussions.

Why this partnership matters

While Project Saathi marked the first collaboration between SPJIMR Abhyudaya and Manchester Metropolitan University, its impact is likely to extend well beyond a single week. The friendships formed, conversations started, and perspectives gained will continue to shape participants long after the programme has ended.

Because ultimately, the most meaningful outcome of Project Saathi was not the presentations, the artefacts, or even the activities themselves.

It was the discovery that when people from different worlds meet with openness, curiosity, and respect, everyone learns.

Testimonials