Study in India 2014 M an i pa l • P u ne • V aranas i
About Us
The Alliance for Global Education, LLC, was formed with the vision of opening study abroad destinations in Asia to an ever-growing and more diverse U.S. undergraduate population. The Alliance provides stimulating, interdisciplinary study abroad programs in China and India that maintain high academic standards, strong student services, and careful health and safety measures. Our core mission is to develop and promote innovative programs in vibrant, dynamic Asian countries that are of ever-increasing scholarly, political, and economic interest.
India in Ascendance Table of Contents Manipal Global and Public Health.................. 3
Pune Contemporary India: Development, Economy, Society........................................................... 6 Summer Program.................................... 7
Varanasi The City, the River, the Sacred......... 9
General information.................11
Cover photos, top: Fresh marigolds at the market, by Sarah Webber (Boston College); bottom: Alliance students volunteering at the Pune Blind Girls’ School celebrate Holi with eco-friendly colored powders from local organization eCoexist, by Deepak Kaw.
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India is bursting onto the world stage, not only as a rising economic superpower, technology leader, and strategic partner, but also with its colorful culture and media boom in film, music, and style. Already the world’s largest democracy, soon to be the world’s most populous nation, and with a 3,000 year-old civilization that is continually redefining itself, India offers rich and varied avenues of study and inquiry for the intellectually ambitious, adventurous U.S. undergraduate.
Students in Alliance programs: • Engage in high-quality academic coursework delivered by experts in the field. • Move beyond the classroom and into their areas of interest through internships and field research, balancing structured academic and experiential learning. • Integrate into the local context, through housing, volunteer opportunities, peer relationships, and co-curricular activities.
Why the Alliance?
• Benefit in their learning and cultural adjustment from a dedicated team of highlytrained and knowledgeable program staff.
The Alliance for Global Education offers a unique approach to the study of contemporary China and India, pulling together these wide and diverse subject areas through the lens of focused thematic and disciplinary areas.
In all of our programs, the Alliance seeks to support highly-motivated, adventurous students as they develop into sensitive and sophisticated future leaders, with a nuanced understanding of complex local, regional, and international issues.
MAnIpAL
Global and Public Health at Manipal University The Global and Public Health program at Manipal University provides students with a comprehensive overview of public health in India today as well as a multi-disciplinary array of courses focusing on Indian culture and society. Based at one of India’s premier private universities, the Alliance program provides an integrated Indian campus experience and the unique opportunity to live and take courses with Indian peers. Through coursework, students visit local health clinics and academic centers dedicated to the study of traditional Indian medicine, as well as explore India’s rich culture and rise on the world stage. Field visits along with the core course provide exposure to the regional complexity of Karnataka and its local religions, landscapes, livelihoods, and economies.
About Manipal A university town, Manipal is surrounded by lush tropical backwaters away from the hustle and bustle of India’s megacities. Located in the heart of the coastal belt of Karnataka, four hours south of Goa and just north of Kerala, Manipal offers stunning views of the Arabian Sea and the nearby Western Ghats, and provides an ideal rural location from which to study India’s public health challenges and rich cultural heritage.
Seeking shelter under the radiant power of Lord Shiva in nearby Murudeshwar.
Manipal University The Alliance program is based at Manipal University, known throughout India and around the world for its strong medical college and health science programs. With over 20,000 graduate and undergraduate students, including 2,200 international students, Manipal’s worldclass faculty and facilities have set a new bar in Indian higher education.
Program Snapshot CrEDIT HOUrS: 15 (Semester) ACADEMICS: Communications Global and public Health International Affairs philosophy political Science Sociology HOUSInG: Student hostels, single or shared with Indian roommate LAnGUAGE: English; Hindi available
Weekly field visits provide first-hand exposure to public health issues at Manipal University’s rural health clinics and main hospital.
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Curriculum Students take one required core course, Indian Culture and Society, specially designed to help them develop a better understanding of the Indian context for their studies. Global and public health coursework capitalizes on the long-standing reputation of the university’s medical and health science programs. These courses include a field-based practicum alongside other Manipal students, with regular visits to the university’s rural health clinics and main hospital.
Local fishermen tow in their boats for the evening from the Arabian Sea north of Manipal.
“Friday morning field visits are my favorite part of the academic program in Manipal. Each week builds upon what we’ve memorized and critiqued in class. While India’s health system looks fantastic on paper, implementation varies widely from state to state, rural to urban, and village to village. We’ve been everywhere from St. Joseph’s Leprosy Hospital, to observing a Pulse Polio day, to meeting mothers and their newborns at a Maternal and Child Health facility. What I took away from these locations, the staff, and their patients was the optimism that the Indian people have for a future of better health.” — Sarah Connolly, American University
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In addition, the university’s Study Abroad Programme (SAP) has drawn its most talented faculty from the departments of geopolitics, philosophy, and communications to teach a wide array of courses addressing India’s past, present, and future. Students can choose to concentrate in Global and Public Health or Indian Studies by selecting at least three of their four electives from these respective disciplines.
Courses SOCI 350 Indian Culture and Society (required; 3 credits) Choose four 3-credit elective courses from the following options, subject to availability and minimum enrollment (12 credits total):
Global and Public Health PUBH 200 Basic Epidemiology Environment & Occupational Health PUBH 210
PUBH 220 Maternal PUBH 225 Global
and Child Health
Health Problems
PUBH 230 Surveillance
Diseases
of Infectious
PUBH 240 Epidemiology
Countries
in Developing
PUBH 250 Public
Health Systems and National Health Policies
AYUR 300 Ayurveda
and Indian Traditions of Healing
Alliance and Manipal University students send lanterns floating into the sky during Diwali.
Indian Studies COMM 340 Indian Media COMM 400 Environment
Communication
FILM 345 Cinema
and Development
in India
HIND 100 Beginning IAFF 360 Regional
Co-curricular Activities
Hindi
Security in South Asia
IAFF 365 Strategy and Practice of Indian Foreign Policy IAFF 375 India’s
Worldview
PHIL 350 Indian
Intellectual Traditions
POLS 380
Contemporary Indian Politics
Students who choose a concentration in Global and Public Health or Indian Studies will receive a certificate recognizing their specialization within the program along with their official transcript.
Housing Alliance students at Manipal are housed in air-conditioned rooms in student hostels on campus (similar to U.S. dormitories). Students may choose to live in a single room or in a double room with an Indian roommate. All rooms include attached baths. The Manipal campus is modern, with state-ofthe-art facilities including numerous colleges and institutes, classrooms, libraries, food courts, athletic fields, and a stunning indoor sports complex. Students come from all over India and the world to study at Manipal, and Alliance students are immersed in its thriving campus life, with every opportunity to participate in student clubs, festivals, and sports competitions.
To complement and reinforce the academic curriculum, students participate in a number of co-curricular initiatives designed to enhance their understanding of public health and Indian culture. These activities may include: • Examining Indian health care through the structure, organization, and functions of Manipal’s District Hospital • Exploring Malpe’s fishing harbor and fish oil factory as an example of local industry • Engaging with key stakeholders at the Rural Maternity and Child Welfare Centre • Reflecting on spirituality at the Jain pilgrimage site, Thousand Pillars Temple • Discovering expressive culture forms such as yoga or bharatnatyam (dance)
“I joined an organization at Manipal called Volunteer Services Organization (VSO), and it’s been an amazing experience so far! It is a community service club that has projects every Sunday, including cleaning up a local parkway, visiting a pediatric ward, visiting a home for people with disabilities, helping with blood drives and more. On our visit to an orphanage, we initially struggled to communicate since most of the kids only spoke Kannada. But once we went outside to play soccer and other games, laughter became our common language!” — Christine Page, Earlham College
By taking learning outside the classroom and engaging students on-site, Alliance programs bring together the best of both academic and experiential dimensions of study abroad.
Field Excursions An organized week-long excursion brings to life the core themes of the Manipal program through extended exposure to major urban and rural locations throughout South India such as Mysore, Bangalore, Ooty, and coastal Kerala. Top left: The University building is one of many modern buildings on Manipal’s campus and houses university administration, student services, and the Health Science Library.
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pUnE
Contemporary India: Development, Economy, Society The Contemporary India program pulls together a wide and diverse subject area through the lens of development studies, incorporating environmental issues, film, economics, social justice, and public health into a comprehensive curriculum that helps students better understand both India’s unprecedented challenges and innovative solutions.
Program Snapshot
By providing a core academic base, allowing progressive specialization through electives, and culminating with an internship, directed research project, or documentary film, this program takes an interdisciplinary yet focused approach to the compelling issues facing India today, as they apply to the subcontinent and in their global context.
Curriculum The Pune curriculum is built around the required core course, Contemporary India, with electives providing an in-depth examination of areas considered critical to India’s future. Field-based experiences pull together students’ coursework into a focused, sustained inquiry that takes learning outside the classroom while maintaining a challenging academic structure. Students with a particular interest in economics can pursue a concentration that examines India’s economic rise and resulting challenges, the role of the public and private sectors, and India’s position in the greater South Asian economic context.
About pune CrEDIT HOUrS: 15 (Semester) 6 (Summer) ACADEMICS: Development Studies Economics Environmental Studies film Studies public Health Sociology HOUSInG: Homestays or shared apartments LAnGUAGE: English; Hindi available fIELD COMpOnEnT: Internship Directed research Documentary film
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Pune, a vibrant, bustling city that has long been considered India’s academic center, offers an ideal location to study contemporary India. Only a short train ride from the booming metropolis of Mumbai, Pune is home to many of India’s top academic institutions and has a thriving student scene. Pune hosts many of the country’s most forward-thinking NGOs and is a striking example of the “new India,” with technology and international business rapidly bringing a new, fascinating dimension to its multi-faceted urban landscape. The Pune program is based at Fergusson College, one of India’s oldest and most prestigious liberal arts colleges. Founded by nationalist leaders in 1885, and alma mater to two prime ministers and scores of national leaders, Fergusson enjoys a beautiful green campus in the thriving, centrally-located Deccan Gymkhana neighborhood.
Resident Director Uttaraa Jadhav feeds Zachary Cohen (American University) an Indian birthday cake at the Alliance program center.
Summer Program The Contemporary India program offers an intensive summer version of the semester program, incorporating the required core course, Contemporary India, and an internship or directed research project into a 7-week, 6-credit seminar complete with field visits, cultural activities, and homestays.
Courses SOCI 360 Contemporary India (required; 3 credits) INTS 380 Internship
or Directed Research or FILM 380 Documentary Film (1 required; 3 credits) DIRR 380
Choose three electives from the following options (9 credits total): ECON 390 Development
Economics
ECON 391 Social Entrepreneurship and Interventions ECON 392 Emerging
Economies
South Asian
ENVI 380 Environmental FILM 350 Nation,
through Film
Caste, and Gender
HIND 100 Beginning
Hindi
HIND 200 Intermediate PUBH 300 Public SOCJ 365 Social
Perspectives
Hindi
Health
Justice
Students who elect to participate in the economics concentration must take Development Economics, choose at least one economics elective, and focus their field-based component on a topic related to economics. The Alliance will issue a certificate recognizing the successful completion of the concentration along with the student’s official transcript.
Field Study Component Students must fulfill a field-based requirement by choosing one of three different options: Internship, Directed Research, or Documentary Film. All projects have a specific academic focus and are conducted under the supervision of a faculty member. Students must take at least one elective relevant to their focus. Examples of past projects are available on our website.
“I like how multifaceted the program is. It offers opportunities to learn through classroom instruction, professional internship placements, and immersion into Indian culture. I had such a positive experience that I would highly recommend the program to anyone interested in a program in India, as long as they feel that it is the type of society that they could successfully and happily adjust to and approach with an open mind.” — Melissa Carpenter, University of Wisconsin Madison
Students who choose the internship option are placed in NGOs, cultural organizations, multi-national businesses, IT companies, research institutes, and think tanks across Pune and work on issues related to social and economic development.
Top left: Lucy McGrath (Arcadia University) and Amber Wong (Franklin and Marshall College) gather with their Indian host family every night for dinner and lively cultural exchange. Top right: The campus of Fergusson College.
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“My favorite part of my study abroad experience was my internship at Deep Griha Society, a family welfare center in the slums of Pune. I was able to really become part of the community, and working with and learning from the people there was the most valuable experience I’ve ever had. I was not only able to witness the issues surrounding life in the slums, but to actively work with the community to address these issues.” — Emily Rivard, University of Massachusetts
Directed research students are paired with a faculty member appropriate to their academic area of interest—such as performing arts, journalism, tribal, environmental or women’s issues, public health, or text-based historical research—and are expected to produce a formal research paper as their final project. The documentary film option allows students to conduct and present research through a visual rather than a written medium. Working closely with a faculty member who is a film professor and director, students are trained in the art and technique of documentary filmmaking, and are expected to produce a short film on their selected subject area.
Housing The Alliance offers two types of housing placement in Pune, both associated with an Indian host. Most students live with an Indian family in an embedded homestay that offers varying degrees of independence. Students may also be placed with Alliance or Indian students in a shared apartment associated with a student hostel. All students should be prepared to share a room with another Alliance or Indian student. Housing is located at varying distances from the program center, and most students make their daily commute by auto rickshaw.
Top right: Drummers parade through downtown Pune during Ganpati, the annual Hindu festival to Lord Ganesha.
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Co-curricular Activities To complement and reinforce the academic curriculum, students participate in a number of co-curricular initiatives designed to enhance their engagement with development issues. These activities may include: • Examining social justice in India at the home of renowned activist, Jotirao Phule • Exploring women’s issues through discussions with a leader from the Indian feminist movement • Discovering Maharashtra’s natural beauty at nearby waterfalls, caves, and hill stations • Practicing expressive culture forms such as tabla (drum) or bharatnatyam (dance) • Engaging with local coppersmiths and other entrepreneurs at Tambat Ali By taking learning outside the classroom and engaging students on-site, Alliance programs bring together the best of both academic and experiential dimensions of study abroad.
Field Excursions Two organized long-weekend excursions during the semester highlight the differences between urban and rural life that characterize contemporary India. In a tribal Maharashtra village, students take an in-depth look at public health issues and economic sustainability, while venturing to the nearby megacity of Mumbai exposes them to the staggering extremes of financial hubs, Bollywood film studios, and vast slums.
VArAnASI
The City, the River, the Sacred The Varanasi program challenges students to examine the urban context and geography that both define Varanasi and place it in the greater context of national and global currents. An intricate mosaic of cultures and a center of South Asian scholarship, Varanasi offers ample opportunities for academic study, intercultural experience, and personal reflection. The program provides a structured blend of classroom and field-based learning, including a required language course and an individualized Culture in Practice component.
About Varanasi In Hindu mythology, the city is known as Kashi, a center for enlightenment on the banks of India’s sacred river, the Ganges. While the British name of Banaras still lingers, in Hindi and Urdu today it is Varanasi. Among the holiest of places for Hindus, it is also home to a vibrant Muslim population and only a few miles from Sarnath where the Buddha preached his first sermon. A window into India’s past, Varanasi continues to foster traditional silk weaving, classical Indian forms of music, and other cultural traditions unique to this region.
The Varanasi program is based near Banaras Hindu University (BHU), one of India’s top research institutions. Founded in 1916, BHU has nearly 20,000 students and 2,500 scholars from across Asia and around the world.
Curriculum The Varanasi curriculum is built around the interdisciplinary core course, Varanasi: City of Confluence, with electives that explore the intersections between religious life, urban studies, and the environment. Students study either Hindi or Urdu language and complete a field-based component that allows them to practice the cultural forms that they would otherwise only study in theory.
Courses SOCI 360 Varanasi: City of Confluence (required; 3 credits) HIND 100-200 Hindi URDU 100-200 Urdu
or (1 required; 3 credits)
Culture in Practice (required; 3 credits)
CLTR 280
Carly Wynn (Transylvania University) and Miranda Fox (Pomona College) above the Ram Temple during their independent travel in Orchha.
Program Snapshot CrEDIT HOUrS: 15 (Semester) ACADEMICS: fine Arts Gender Studies peace and Conflict Studies religious Studies Sociology HOUSInG: Homestays LAnGUAGE: English; Hindi or Urdu required fIELD COMpOnEnT: Culture in practice
Alliance students observe religious activities on the ghats from the Ganges River. Study in Asia | 9
Excursion to West Bengal An organized week-long excursion introduces students to the cultural diversity and colonial history of West Bengal. Students explore both the striking monuments and bustling markets of Kolkata, India’s third most populous city, as well as the local tea plantations and natural beauty of Kurseong, Darjeeling, and other small communities nestled in the Himalayas.
“I will miss my host family like cousins. I will miss navigating the endless potholes in the streets. I will miss my sitar guru like a favorite teacher. I will miss the daily challenge of India. I will miss the thrill of a successful exchange in Hindi. I will miss wandering into a temple and nobody minding. I will miss the pictures of gods everywhere, unacknowledged but clearly loved. And I will certainly miss chai because, even though I know how to make it, there’s something about those little clay cups that I just don’t think will transfer.” – Sarah Berman, Macalester College
Top right: An outdoor lecture by Professor Paranjape before visiting Bharat Mata Mandir, the Mother India Temple open to people of any faith.
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Choose two electives from the following options (6 credits total):
Housing
and Conflict Studies: The Indian Experience
The Varanasi program emphasizes cultural immersion, experiential learning opportunities, and extensive interaction with local residents in the host context. All housing arrangements are associated with an Indian host, and students should be prepared to share a room with another Alliance student.
Culture in Practice
Co-curricular Activities
Women, Development, and Environment GEND 320
RELG 350
in India
Living Religious Traditions
PEAC 380 Peace
This field-based component provides the rare opportunity for students to engage in the local community and study under master teachers or gurus. Students choose from three options – music and dance, yoga and yoga theory, or artisanal apprenticeship. In each option, students spend a third of their time in a classroom setting with peers. Weekly lectures provide the academic framework in which students learn about the theory and history of their Culture in Practice choice. The remaining two-thirds of class hours are spent ‘“in practice,” focusing on a specific aspect of their respective art or trade first-hand through one-on-one or small group lessons with their teachers. Regular assessments are conducted by the instructor throughout the semester. Directed research and internships are also available upon request.
To complement and reinforce the academic curriculum, students participate in a number of co-curricular initiatives designed to enhance language learning and cultural fluency. These activities may include: • Witnessing daily aarti rituals at sunset during a boat ride on the Ganges River • Interviewing staff and residents at an Uttar Pradesh government-sponsored home for elderly women • Exploring Hindu celebrations in honor of Lord Shiva and Varanasi-born Dalit saint Ravidas • Participating in a Buddhist meditation retreat at Sarnath By taking learning outside the classroom and engaging students on-site, Alliance programs bring together the best of both academic and experiential dimensions of study abroad.
General Information 2014 Program Dates The program calendar roughly follows the U.S. academic calendar, with the spring program beginning in mid-January and concluding in early May. The fall program begins in mid-August and concludes in mid-December, and the summer program runs from mid-June to late July.
Administration The program price does not include airfare to India, most meals, passport and consular visa fees, independent travel, and other items not mentioned as included.
Scholarship Information The Alliance offers need-based scholarships ranging from $500-$4,500.
Application Deadlines
Administration
Spring
October 15
Summer
March 1
Fall
April 1
Students, parents, faculty, and advisors can rely on the Alliance for Global Education to provide insightful guidance and comprehensive student services throughout the program.
Students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA to be eligible to apply. Visit our website for application instructions and requirements.
2014 Program Fees Program fees are published on the Alliance website at www.allianceglobaled.org.
What’s Included The program price includes tuition and fees, housing, some meals, pre-departure materials, student visa authorizations, orientation, organized activities, field study trips, course materials, the services of a full-time resident staff, and medical/evacuation insurance.
Our U.S. staff and on-site Resident Directors in Manipal, Pune, and Varanasi work collaboratively with our Indian university partners to provide exceptional educational experiences for our students. Courses and field excursions are subject to change. See our website for information on current courses and trips and for more information on summer curriculum.
Coming Fall 2014
Two Countries, One Semester China and India are increasingly commanding global attention as rising economic powerhouses and strategic partners. Their rapid growth provides the foundation for the Alliance’s newest program: Power, Politics, and Population. Through the lens of their capital cities, Beijing and Delhi, students examine the regional and international power dynamics, domestic politics, and population pressures that are shaping these nations’ ascendance on the world stage.
Janice Levitt Executive Director Jonathan Ferguson Director for India Programs India Advisory committee Chris Deegan Director of Study Abroad University of Illinois at Chicago Sara E. Dumont, D.Phil. Director, AU Abroad – Abroad at AU American University Michael Dodson, Ph.D. Associate Professor of History Director of Dhar India Studies Program Indiana University Nick Iammarino, Ph.D. CHES Chair, Department of Kinesiology Rice University Laura McKeon, Ph.D. Associate Dean for Study Abroad Williams College Kelly McLaughlin Deputy Director, Center for International and Professional Experience Yale University Christian Novetzke, Ph.D. Associate Professor of South Asian Studies and Comparative Religion University of Washington – Seattle Andy Rotman, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Religion Smith College Steve Seaworth Vice President, University Relations Institute for Study Abroad Butler University Harleen Singh, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of South Asian Languages and Literature Brandeis University John Wells Director of Enrollment Management Arcadia University
With 8 weeks in each country, this new 15-credit program features a comparative core course and four country-specific courses, a rich slate of co-curricular field-based activities, and unparalleled insider access to the people and institutions driving change in these two emerging Asian superpowers. Visit our website to learn more and apply.
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1730 M Street N.W., Suite 402 Washington, DC 20036 Phone: 202-822-0032 / 888-232-8379 Email: info@allianceglobaled.org Website: www.allianceglobaled.org Send Application Materials to: The Alliance for Global Education 450 S. Easton Road Glenside, PA 19038