An enthusiastic cricketer, Ankit Bisht will be keeping his eye on the ball while he studies at the Eastern Institute of Technology.

Ankit, who recently moved from India to complete the second half of a Bachelor of Business Studies at EIT Hawke’s Bay, is looking forward to playing for a local cricket club over the summer.

The accounting major is the first student to come to Hawke’s Bay from Ansals Institute of Technology in Gurgaon near Delhi since the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the privately-run and highly regarded institution and EIT.

The agreement allows students from Ansals Institute of Technology to split their study between the two tertiary institutions, taking advantage of a Ansals-EIT scholarship to cross credit papers and complete their degree in Hawke’s Bay.

Although Ankit is a little homesick, Hawke’s Bay, with its rivers and hills, reminds him of Uttarankhand – a state in the north of India which he regards as the family base.  He’s keen to settle in New Zealand and, after graduating, he intends seeking a work visa to secure a job in his area of expertise.

The 20-year-old is impressed by New Zealand’s systematic  way of life.  He finds people here are very helpful and the accent not too difficult to follow although Kiwis do tend to speak quickly, he says.

Ankit lives on campus in Rimu House with two other Indian students, one of whom, Ashish Jain, has been dubbed Chef Ramsey because he does most of the cooking.  The stand-alone accommodation, handy to EIT’s amenities, ensures easy access to lecturers.

Another plus of studying at EIT, says Ankit, is that it isn’t as expensive as in the USA, where he would be required to do four rather than three semesters to complete his degree.

EIT is keen to further develop its relationship with Ansals Institute of Technology.  International Marketing Manager Helen Kemp gives presentations to students there twice a year and other EIT academic staff have also visited the tertiary institution.

“EIT and the School of Business have been very pleased to welcome Ankit,” Helen says. “He has settled in well and we would love to see more students of his calibre coming here.”

With an office in Bangalore, EIT is also aiming to develop a liaison with a university in the grape growing area with a view to establishing a similar arrangement for its wine science and viticulture programmes.