Preet Sanghvi has just taken a bus from college to head to her apartment, which she shares with two others, in Pollenzo, Italy. It's 4 pm local time, and she has just finished her day's classes at the University of Gastronomic Sciences, where she is pursuing a Masters in Gastronomy: World Food Cultures and Mobility.

She came to Italy in October last year, but had to return to Mumbai when the pandemic broke in February, with Italy being one of the first hard-hit countries. "I had gone to Mumbai for my sister's engagement, and then got stuck there," says the 29-year-old, who headed the brand marketing for the Pritam Hospitality group before deciding to study further. In March, her college announced online classes, a decision that students protested. "My course only has 25 students. And my faculty, which is also from all over the world, is amazing. My school is actually referred to as the Hogwarts of food. So, I didn't want to do online classes as the main advantage of studying here is interacting with other students and the faculty." So, the university rescheduled the classes and students returned to campus in September for classes, pandemic or not.