Building strong foundations in Mumbai

Giovanni Rapana (right) working in a house in the Shivaji Nagar slum.

Traveling from the sheltered western world to Asia’s poorest slum, fourth year Griffith Civil Engineering student Giovanni Rapana put down his iPhone, rolled up his sleeves and got to work. With the assistance of the Industry Affiliate Program and a Griffith University Scholarship, Giovanni completed a six week project in the Shivaji Nagar slums of Mumbai, India.

Working with a research based urban development company; Giovanni participated in a project investigating the structure of the slum’s concrete foundations in an attempt to find low-cost alternatives that can better survive the harsh conditions. He gained new knowledge on construction techniques and the subsurface profiles of slum areas. The program offered Giovanni a fantastic opportunity to explore the world and his field.

A photo looking along one of the open drains that run through the slum.
A photo looking along one of the open drains that run through the slum.

The Industry Affiliate Program (IAP) is a work-integrated learning program that is tailored for placing undergraduate and postgraduate students into relevant industries. It provides students the opportunity to participate in real-world projects and develop the discipline-specific skills through industrial projects. The IAP is different from an internship or a summer job, it usually requires the students to work 2-5 days a week throughout a whole semester.

The IAP project was definitely beneficial to me. Without this internship experience, I wouldn’t have realised that there is still so much more to learn. I know how to do assignments but applying those skills to the real world can be challenging.” Said Giovanni.

Giovanni not only acquired academic advantages from the internship, but the whole experience of staying in India has added a fruitful page to his life story and was an exceptional experience.

India was such a different atmosphere, such a different lifestyle… Seeing children who, instead of playing with phones are throwing rocks and sorting trash was challenging for me as I’m also a father… But, overall the whole experience was a blast. I even attended two Indian weddings which was the highlight of the trip and one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.”

The IAP offers different projects to suit the students’ profession, and provides direct benefits and industry insight to the students through the practical placements. Find out more about the Industry Affiliate Programon their website where you can alsoread more placement stories.

Giovanni (right) dressed traditionally to attend a local wedding.
Giovanni (right) dressed traditionally to attend a local wedding.