Tia Bhana

Tia Bhana

Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia, Reimagining India Study Tour

Introduction

Hey! I’m Tia, and I’m studying psychology and criminology at Vic Uni in Wellington. I applied for Reimagining India to get a deeper understanding of my Indian heritage and to further my learning in cross-cultural and social psychology. 

I’m especially excited to meet non-profit organisations and learn how they support people.

I believe that NZ offers a limited and almost sheltered view of what hardships common citizens can face. So, experiencing India is a great opportunity to expand my worldview around various communities and how best to support them with the resources and norms they have in play. I think this program will further my transferable skills, which I can apply to my current volunteering, and give me an idea of what opportunities there are to study and interact with other cultures overseas.

I’ve found a lack of Indian content and knowledge within my uni courses, and I’m interested in learning more about stigmatised issues within Indian culture and society which relate to both psychology and criminology.

Overall, I’m super hyped for this experience, especially to do it with a group of cool people as well!

  • NGO stands for Not For Profit Organization – Ep 7. Tea with Tia (ft Alex and Morgan)

    On today’s episode I’m joined by Alex Johnson and Morgan Koster! We discuss some program highlights (gotta love food) before exploring our views on some of the NGOs we’ve visited and what it means to be selfless vs selfish….Continue Reading NGO stands for Not For Profit Organization – Ep 7. Tea with Tia (ft Alex…

  • Foreigner Paparazzi – Ep 6. Tea with Tia (ft Aria and Cornelia)

    Hey, welcome back! I’m joined by Aria Gardiner and Cornelia Sartie to discuss some past experiences from the trip, and then our thoughts on being (asked and not to be) photographed as a foreigner in India….Continue Reading Foreigner Paparazzi – Ep 6. Tea with Tia (ft Aria and Cornelia)

  • Standards of Beauty in India – Ep 5. Tea with Tia (ft Abby and Claire)

    Today I’m joined by Abby Wong and Claire Kang to discuss Indian beauty standards! (Inspired by our encounter with a cosmetologist in Bangalore). We also talk about some of our trip highlights (bit of food this time haha)….Continue Reading Standards of Beauty in India – Ep 5. Tea with Tia (ft Abby and Claire)