Blogophile: London International Youth Science Forum 2013, Part One

A few months ago, I was told that I was going to have a life-changing experience (as one of the representatives of India at the London International Youth Science Forum 2013). At the time, I regarded this with a hint of cynicism as I thought, "Sure, why not? How many times have I heard that before?"

I was proved wrong in spectacular fashion.

LIYSF 2013 turned out be even greater than promised.

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As the name suggests, the London International Youth Science Forum is a science forum for students from around the world. What it doesn't suggest, however, is how incredible the forum actually is. (By the way, I'm just going to write LIYSF from now on - typing the entire name over and over again will surely give me a bad case of tendinitis.)

Founded in 1959, LIYSF brings together about 350 students from around the world for a 2-week residential program in London. The current location of the forum is in Imperial College London. Together, the participants attend lectures by leading scientists from various institutions, go on visits to research establishments and museums in England, and take part in workshops, debates and other group activities. The forum also has a delightful social aspect to it - a cabaret, "traditions of home" evening, and optional sightseeing tours in London. The forum aims to give students a taste of cutting-edge research while simultaneously fostering international relations.
LIYSF even has its own wikipedia page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_International_Youth_Science_Forum

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I crawled out of bed, bleary-eyed, at 2 am on the 24th of July, to catch a 6 am flight to the land of the Queen. A 9-hour flight lay between me and London, yet I know it wasn't going to be the arduous journey I was promised it would be. I love flying, and spending 32,400 seconds cruising 30,000 feet above sea level was the stuff of dreams! While excited, I can't deny I was a little anxious. In a few hours' time, I would be meeting people from all over the world, in a foreign land. Sure, it sounded incredible, but what if I didn't "fit in"?
(The 2 weeks in London would completely change my idea of "fitting in". I realised at LIYSF that people will like you for who you are, as long as you are genuine. Also, I needn't have worried about my personality matching with those of the other participants. All of us were lovers of science, and that was enough!)

Every trip must include a photograph of an airplane wing.

I should have expected that things would start to go wrong the minute I stepped off the plane at Heathrow Airport in London. They always do - that's what makes the story interesting. It turned out that my suitcase had gotten soaked at Mumbai airport (it was pouring at the time of my flight - completely natural, as July is peak monsoon season in India), and the trolley handle on it got jammed shut. When I picked up the bag in London, I realised that I would have to carry it all the way to Imperial College - dragging it was no longer an option! To add to my woes, my mobile phone obstinately refused to work properly, as all self-respecting electronic devices do when you need them the most.

I couldn't be disappointed for too long, though. It was my first visit to England, after all! And I played the part of the starry-eyed tourist to perfection, taking in the sights from the airport all the way over to Imperial College London in South Kensington. The moment I entered the Biet Halls of Residence in Imperial (where we were to stay for the next 2 weeks), I was greeted with warm smiles by everyone I met, from fellow participants to LIYSF staff members. I realised that we were all in this together, and everyone was away from home. It struck me for the first time what an amazing opportunity this was, and that I would be a fool not to take complete advantage of it.

The following fortnight turned out to be one of the most glorious and eventful ones of my life. I attended lectures by brilliant scientists, from institutions like CERN and the Royal Society of Chemistry. I visited Oxford. I met people and made friends from Germany, England, Spain, Israel, Malta, Serbia, Brazil, Italy, Cyprus, Pakistan, New Zealand, USA, Sweden and more. As far as experiences go, it was one for the books.

LIYSF meant so much to me that I have decided to dedicate 3 entire blog entries to it. This one, "London International Youth Science Forum, Part One" was intended to give you an overview, an introduction to my experiences in London. Stay tuned for my next blog post, titled "London International Youth Science Forum, Part Two" (I'm quite creative with names, aren't I?)

Until then, some photographs: