In February this year, I was fortunate enough to have been one of the only two students from India invited to participate in Samsung Engineering?s first edition of Junior Eco-Engineering held in the bustling city of Seoul, South Korea.

The extensive three day educational course saw 46 enthusiastic participants and facilitators from 14 countries including US, Canada, China, Cambodia, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Kazakhstan among others. With the objective of creating future Eco- leaders with an understanding of the principles of engineering, this comprehensive course surely provided more than anyone could ask for! Held at the Samsung Headquarters, the participants listened to several lectures by renowned Korean academicians and other officials regarding a wide range of topics.

After the team building sessions on the first day, the first lecture was delivered by Prof. Hyun-Sik Jang, Head of Incheon International Development Corporation, and it provided the students an insight into what a sustainable world would actually look like. The lecture was followed by a group discussion and activity pertaining to the UN Sustainable Development Goals introduced in 2015.  A presentation was then given by Prof. Bhandari of Seoul National University that dealt with appropriate use of engineering in the field of environmental issues.

Water contamination and its treatment is something a lot of us often find ourselves intrigued by. Dr. Min-Soo Maeng of Dankook University facilitated our understanding regarding the topic by analyzing the consequences of water pollution and introducing us to water treatment using bio sand filters and membranes. The participants were also given the opportunity of trying out a mini water purification device themselves.

The second day of the course saw participants more excited than ever since they were being told about a concept they were very less familiar with- Petrochemical Engineering, by Prof. Joon-Won Bae of Dongduk University. Throughout his lecture, the experienced professor described the role of Petroleum in domestic & industrial activities and ways in which it is processed. This was then followed by an excellent lecture by Dr. Kyung Tae Lee of Seoul National University regarding appropriate utilization of renewable energy-Energy of The Future?.

The session was concluded by an introduction to Urban City Planning with Prof. Han Sueng-Ho and a presentation contest that had all five teams bouncing off the walls! The winning team that had utilized its city?s budget adequately for a greener city was then awarded by a highly honorable official from the Samsung team.

The incredible journey was concluded by a much needed visit to the capital city's two hottest shopping destinations and a tourist spot that every Korean boasts of- The Korean Folk Village!

While all the global participants bid adieu with a heavy heart, we definitely did carry along loads of lovely memories and tremendous exposure in the field we're most passionate about...the environment!

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Reply to Mentor Daon's question on my last Ambassador Report 'Pious Indian Rivers Aren't Pure Anymore' :

Dear mentor Daon, an unfortunate fact about Indians is that we often get so serious about religious issues that we sometimes start following bizarre superstitions too, without taking their repercussions into consideration (some Hindus so blindly start believing them that they would even sacrifice (kill) humans/animals as an offering to god:( ) so in the case of rivers too, people start displaying ignorance.

Other reasons why such issues are not solved early include extreme cases of corruption by government officials. Such people, are unfortunately, a disgrace to India and its Precious resources.