The BBC's Breeze scheme has supported Nasir Jamal, a PhD student at the University of Plymouth, to devise a web-based information service for South Asian students and the wider community. It's been designed specifically to feature problem-solving information and, as importantly, to enable an online community to grow and share ideas and experiences. The new site, mel-jol.com, takes its name from the Indian word for ‘interaction’. From the start of the project, Nasir was keen to make the website dynamic and interactive. "I've always liked the concept of online communities," he explained. "I'm interested in the social network that they can offer.
 | | Nasir Jamal |
"In the 1990s, the internet was about presenting information. Now it’s about involving people in a two way flow of information. Unless they're involved, they're not interested. "The main idea behind this website is to build an online community where people can share, interact and help each other." Mel-jol.com is an interactive website with message boards for discussion on several topics. Additional forums can be started as and when required by users. This new site is a unique local resource where South Asian people can share their views and develop their own online community. The website also includes information relating to events, but is mainly focused on problem solving with links to local resources, agencies and organisations. Nasir is keen for the site to benefit the growing international student population in Devon as well as the wider South Asian community. "The Breeze scheme has helped me to establish the website and research content about organisations which may be able to support this new online community," added Nasir. "The Breeze bursary has also given me a link to the bbc.co.uk/devon website." Mel-jol.com goes live from 26th April 2006. | 
