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I remember hearing about the South Asian Regional Committee (or SARC) at my pre-orientation program and their annual funded research trip to a South Asian country. Then and there, I vowed to take advantage of the many international opportunities found at Tufts. This research trip is not exclusive to South Asia - in fact, there are many trips that students can apply to conduct independent research through the Tisch College of Civic Life’s Initiative for Global Leadership and the student organizations under their umbrella (like SARC).

These trips are for the entire Tufts community, for students of any major, school, and background. As part of the application process, I submitted a short research proposal that outlined what I may be interested in studying in Sri Lanka and why I felt it was achievable within 1-2 weeks. In true Sahana fashion, I fine-tuned until the last minute and submitted the application ten minutes before the deadline, waiting with bated breath in the following weeks. I was delighted, eager, and a bit nervous when I received the acceptance email. Throughout the spring semester, our group of six students, each with our own unique research, met weekly to develop our research, plan travel and accommodations, and reach out to contacts at institutions, non-profits, and think tanks in Sri Lanka.

After months of planning, we finally set off to Logan Airport the day after finals for our approximately two-week journey. We had some very, very long travel ahead of us, but the exciting prospect of exploring a new country and learning about new cultures got us through those 21 hours. We set out and about around Colombo, conducting interviews, visiting museums, and seeing the sights.

We each had individual research topics, but were able to find common ground on broad subject areas like public health, the tea industry, and colonialism, which we used to find our expert interviewees. For the vast majority of interviews, multiple of us would be able to learn and ask about our research. Some of my favorite interviews were with Vishmee Warnachapa and Sewanee Mills of the Women’s Education and Research Centre and with Kusum Athukorala, Chair of Global Water Partnership South Asia. We also conducted interviews at universities like the University of Colombo and at institutions like the United Nations and the Red Cross.

Although we were working hard and learning a lot, we also found time to enjoy all that Sri Lanka had to offer. Most of our trip was based in Colombo, so we learned more about the capital city through fascinating museums like the National Museum of Natural History, religious sites like the Jami Al-Ulfar Mosque and Gangarama Sima Malaka (Buddhist temple), and shopping at malls and marketplaces. Fun fact: the Jami Al-Ulfar Mosque has its distinctive red color in order to resemble the pomegranate! We were even able to take a day trip to Kandy, where we learned more about the tea industry in Sri Lanka and took in the gorgeous mountain scenery!

I am so grateful to have been afforded the opportunity to experience such a beautiful country while studying a topic that fascinated me. Throughout the summer, I will be completing my research paper about women’s economic empowerment based on my interviews in Sri Lanka. I can’t wait to see where the rest of this research process takes me, and the things I have gained on this trip will stay with me for life - new friends, research skills, and a deep appreciation for Sri Lankan food!