It was a fine Saturday morning. I was in Calcutta (now Kolkata) when I received a desperate call from my institution, H M Patel Institute of English Training and Research in Gujarat. The Director of my college informed me that I have been short-listed for the Hornby scholarships for the year 2005-06 and would need to attend a telephonic interview on Monday. With mixed feelings of trepidation and excitement, and a lot of nerves and my hurriedly-assembled backpack, I set off for Gujarat. At 10.00 a.m. on Monday the phone rang and by 10.30 a.m. it was all over. A few days later, I was informed that I have been awarded the Hornby scholarship for doing a course in ELT and Multimedia at the University of Warwick, UK.

After countless e-mail exchanges between British Council, the University of Warwick and me, I finally landed in London on 23 September, 2005 with no perceptible idea of what I am going to face.  And then the Hornby experience began. First in the form of the East Midlands team apprising us of the whys and the whats of the scholarship. Then a wonderful trip to Nottingham, and to Oxford and to Harrogate. I never had felt so well looked after. Every aspect – be it food, accommodation, money, academic issues, personal blues – there was always someone just a phone call or an e-mail away. There were no grumbles, no delays, no anguished replies, no nodding of the head if they were not meant to say ‘yes’. And all with a smile. At no time were we allowed to feel that we were ‘away’. We were always ‘home’ in another family.

Professionally, the experience was even more enriching. First, in the form of international exposure that otherwise would have been impossible. Second, in terms of upgrading of knowledge and skills within the best environs possible. Third, an opportunity to grow professionally, not only in terms of a degree at the end of the scholarship, but also in the field of research through various Hornby-funded projects. And finally, by providing an impetus to life-long learning providing enough infrastructural, monetary and emotional support to carry on even after the one-year tenure.

And this is what I have carried with me from UK: an ability to change when change seems impossible. Thanks to Hornby.

Atanu Bhattacharya is Coordinator MA [ELT] at H M Patel Institute of English Training and Research, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat.