Day 11 at LIYSF! Today was an optional visit to the University of Cambridge. I woke up early, had breakfast and headed out on a two hour drive to the university. Catherine stayed at Imperial and got some rest in.
At Cambridge we got a tour of the university. We got to see Trinity College, St. John’s College and learn about the Colleges and the architecture of the buildings. After the tour we had some free time to explore on our own. We visited some shops and the Cambridge University Press Bookshop which is the oldest bookshop in England with books being sold since 1581. We also saw the Mathematical Bridge, Newton’s apple tree, and learned a little bit about punting! Cambridge University was truly incredible, filled with so much history. The architecture of every building was stunning!
After the visit we returned back and had dinner. To end off the evening we had the Traditions of Home event where participants shared the traditions from their hometown. There were 21 performances from 17 different countries and these included dance and singing performances. It was so nice to learn about and explore different cultures and their traditions! In addition to the scientific discussions, the cultural dimension of the forum held equal significance. Embracing the theme of “Science for Unity,” we discovered that science not only brings nations together but also fosters a strong bond with various traditions. Throughout the event, we witnessed many traditions that linked and united people from different countries. Some students even brought snacks from their countries for everyone to try. We got to try Australian cookies called Tim Tams, a dessert from Qatar, and chips from Spain. We got to participate in the performances and learn other countries traditional dances.
Today was a busy day filled with lots of learning, exploring and making memories with friends! Stay tuned for Catherine’s recap of Day 12 tomorrow!
-Manjot