Mayank Bhalla

Allahabad, a dusty old city in northern India had an exalted status in colonial and post-independence India. However, it witnessed a steady decline from the 1960's, and this is the place where I was born in the 1970's.

I grew up in the city and attended the local university, studying Biology. The University of Allahabad was dubbed as the Oxford of the East and has a roster of illustrious alumni. Cycling to and from the University campus, I used to gaze at its beautiful 'Indo-Saracenic Revival' style buildings and wondered if I would ever be able to see the real Oxford? 'Not even in my dream' I would to say to myself and dismiss the thought.

Little did I know that the thought was going to turn into reality in merely a few years? All because somewhere in the world a generous benefactor had decided to bequeath a precious gift which, was going to change my life forever.

I was fascinated by the study of how plants and animals evolved and how the power of life can be harnessed so I wanted to study further. I won a place to study for an MSc in Biotechnology at the Banaras Hindu University.

Whilst completing the MSc degree, my passion for biology became stronger and I wanted to study for a PhD and began searching for a suitable place. I chose the UK because I was impressed with the ethos and quality of academic research in the UK as opposed to USA which was the favourite destination for Indian students at the time. It was a bold choice as there were very few scholarships available and my family could never have been able to support me financially.

Undeterred, I took an overnight train journey to New Delhi and visited the British Council Library to scour for universities and scholarships in the UK as there was no such thing as the internet in those days! I soon realized that securing full funding was going to be the tough as there were very few fully funded scholarships. Felix Scholarship caught my eye and I decided to apply.

Eventually, I received a letter asking me to attend an interview in Bangalore for the scholarship. Overjoyed, I embarked on a 48 hour train journey in the sweltering heat of June to a place I had never visited before and could not speak a word of the local language. I faced a fierce interview panel and a few days later I was informed by Professor Ranjit Bhatia that I had been shortlisted! However, it wasn't meant to be as The University of Reading had a requirement of bench fee of £9,000 pa for three years over and above the course fees! I had no resources to pay £27,000 and whilst I was disappointed, I was not disheartened. I soon found employment at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in New Delhi and worked on a malaria vaccine research project.

Few months later, I received a letter from Reading, inviting me to re-apply for the Felix Scholarship. I did and attended interview again. The rest, as they was, history.

I arrived at Reading on a cold and dull September morning. I was welcomed by a friendly and warm University community. The hall of residence where I lived had students living from over 100 different countries! I never had such a wonderful and enriching life experience.

The University campus in Reading is beautiful, complete with its own lake and acres of parkland. It boasted superb library and laboratory facilities and other amenities to facilitate pursuit of scholarship and research. I was overjoyed to be amidst world class facilities and an intellectually stimulating research environment. And with a warm and welcoming fraternity and a close knit group of Felix scholars, it felt the ideal place to pursue my goal of higher studies. Three years at Reading flew by, interspersed with academic seminars, conferences and social events. It is hard to describe in words the rich tapestry of experience I gained during my time as a Felix Scholar.

Whilst I was at Reading, a strong evolutionary developmental biology group existed in my department and my research interest leaned towards the subject, slightly tangential to the parasite biology studies I was undertaking at the time. I attended their seminars and lab meeting and the academics were more than happy to feed my enthusiasm. I decided to pursue post doctoral studies and eventually found a position to study limb development at Oxford.

As soon as my PhD studies were complete, I began my post doctoral fellowship at Oxford and the thought of seeing Oxford as an undergraduate in Allahabad became a reality. My time at Oxford provided another layer of rich experience, especially the pursuit of the highest level intellectual curiosity and higher scholarship. I was equipped with the knowledge and skills to pursue a further work in the area which fascinated me most - evolutionary developmental neurobiology. I found another post-doctoral position at the finest centre in the world for this subject. I joined the MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology at King's College, London.

However, with passage of time, I felt my vocation was not making any immediate and direct impact on either the community I lived in or the world in general. I was itching to do something which made a deeper and perhaps a quicker impact.

I decided to study law with a view to apply my biotechnology knowledge in a commercial setting. I won a 'training contract' from the world's finest law firm, Linklaters in London the firm sponsored two years of studies required to train as a solicitor. I completed my legal education in London and a further two years of training with Linklaters.

I am now a solicitor and work for a Swiss biotechnology group, Lonza. Given the surge of India as global player in the recent years, the company is planning to set up research and development facilities in India and I am responsible for helping in setting up the Indian operations. Finally I am able to make a real difference to the world and to my mother country, howsoever small.

Felix Scholarship has allowed a young man to dream and make the dreams come true. A remarkable feat, had it not been for the generosity of a benefactor who chose to remain anonymous.