“If there is one mantra that I can give you to be successful in life, it is that you should not write the same CV two consecutive years. A CV should tell the story of how we are evolving, not how we are standing still."

For Dr. Ajey Balaji Vemulapadu, this mantra isn’t just advice; it’s the story of his own life. Ajey grew up in Coimbatore (India), a city nicknamed "the Manchester of South India” because of its reputation for textiles and industry. He attended school locally before pursuing a postgraduate degree in Medical Microbiology.

Ajey began his career as a clinical microbiologist, working in hospitals before moving into the vaccine industry as a researcher. But in his late twenties, while taking a part-time French course, he found himself enchanted by the language and decided to take a bold leap. At 28 years old, he shifted paths from the sciences into the humanities.

Ajey pursued advanced degrees in France. He completed a Master's in Linguistics and Didactics of French at Nantes University, and later a PhD in Language Sciences at the University of Artois. Studying alongside French nationals, he faced the same rigorous exams as local students. “I knew I had to get my degree from France so that I understand the full rigor of challenge and transformation,” he explained.

His academic journey eventually brought him to Switzerland, where he continues his career in teaching and research.

At LAS, Ajey draws from the both sides of his background - science and linguistics, to develop his own approach to teaching. “Teaching IB is very challenging. Every skill of the teacher is tested spontaneously in the class. And that's both rewarding and a learning curve for the teacher.”

For Ajey, his success in teaching involves collaboration with students. “It's not about the greatness of the teacher, it's about the willingness of the student to let the teacher work with them,” he said. That philosophy of growth is one he models in his own life. Not content to rest on his accomplishments, he is already at work on a proposal for a second PhD. "Learning, for me, is a journey without an endpoint."

Ajey finds the LAS community to be enriching for students in unexpected ways. 'This school provides multiple opportunities for students to grow in areas that parents may not have envisioned. One week is not the same as the next.'

His own role shifts depending on the context: “I realized that in the classroom, I'm a mentor. In the dorm, I'm a mother. I've learned to compartmentalize.”

Ajey shares that his students voluntarily take the lead, teaching him skills they have mastered. This year, he has taken on the role of gym supervisor for his activity and relished being a learner in that environment. In predictable fashion, he is taking advantage of the opportunity to tackle new skills.

"I've been working out in the gym. If my posture is not correct, a student will come over and say, ‘You know, Dr. AJ, your shoulders are slouching. It needs to be like this’. They will correct my form. It's very nice because the kids can also see that they have an upper hand in some areas with me. I cherish this reversal of roles."