In one of the remote and disadvantaged villages of Tripura, Dipayan Bhowmick once dreamt of becoming an architect despite growing up far away from the opportunities usually associated with international education. Yet, through academic perseverance and the support of the National Overseas Scholarship, Dipayan went on to pursue a Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Stuttgart, Germany. Living, studying and working in Germany exposed him to a diverse international environment that transformed not only his academic understanding, but also his outlook towards society, sustainability and urban development.