Trek in the Himalayas, witness the immediate impacts of climate change from the mountains to the delta, and access the vast diversity of India’s people, cultures, and landscapes.
FROM THE EXPANSIVE GANGETIC PLAINS TO THE HIGHEST HIMALAYAN PEAKS, WEATHER AND WATER DICTATE THE LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS OF MILLIONS.
From the expansive Gangetic Plains to the highest Himalayan peaks, weather and water dictate the livelihoods and futures of millions. Our India Semester offers you the opportunity to live and learn alongside communities on the front lines of this era’s climate crisis.
From the expansive Gangetic Plains to the highest Himalayan peaks, weather and water dictate the livelihoods and futures of millions. Our India Semester offers you the opportunity to live and learn alongside communities on the front lines of this era’s climate crisis.
Students navigate from verdant tea plantations to high Himalayan passes; from mangrove forests lining the coast to lush rice paddies fed by the sacred Ganges river. A homestay in the Himalayan foothills allows students to participate in the daily rituals that underpin the rich cultural traditions of the region. We meet with local NGOs leaders and activists advocating for environmental justice and protection and meet with Tibetan Buddhist monks to understand the role that religion has to play in generating environmental awareness and social change.
Traveling north to the ancient Buddhist kingdom of Sikkim in the heart of the Himalayas, students settle into a community stay, learn about the fragile ecosystem and the impacts of decades of river damming, listen to enchanting local folklore, and hike through the surrounding lush forests. An extended multi-day trek with majestic views of the mighty Kanchenjunga, the world’s third tallest mountain, allows students to witness the exquisite beauty and power of the Himalayas.
We then weave southward through the watershed to the Bay of Bengal, where a visit to the Sundarbans mangrove forest reveals the tensions between wildlife conservation and development for the communities that call the forest their home. On the India Semester, students bear witness to some of the quickest and most consequential environmental changes of our time—and to the adaptive strategies communities are using to cope with these changes.
Click on the gallery below to browse photos, videos and quotes from our participants and instructors.
Witness firsthand the impact of climate change on diverse ecosystems, and see how environments and people have responded and adapted to these pressures.
Two extended homestays, one in the Himalayan foothills and another in an idyllic Bengali plains town, give deep cultural insight and redefine the notion of family.
Pick an area of interest and dive in with a local mentor! Sitar, tabla, Indian cooking, Kathak dance, Hindi or Urdu language, vocals, women’s issues, comparative religion, stone carving, woodworking, and jewelry making are some popular options.
Learn some basic Nepali, the lingua franca of those living in north Bengal and Sikkim, and immerse yourself in Bengali, with regular lessons and immersive practice. There may also be opportunities for Hindi language lessons.
Reflect on the meaning of service in the context of Indian culture and explore the meaning of reciprocity with youth in Sikkim.
Inquire deeply into Hindu mythology, philosophy and practice. Learn about Buddhist philosophy and attend a meditation retreat, see Islam in its Indian context, and explore animism as it's been practiced for generations.
Travel by rickshaw, bus, jeep train, and boat into the Himalayas, across the vast plains, and through the Sundarban mangrove forest.
Investigate issues of health, education, urban migration, the caste system, human rights, gender, social inequality, poverty, and more.
Trek for ten days in the high Himalaya near Mount Kanchenjunga, the world's third tallest peak. Go on day hikes in the Himalayan foothills, and explore the dense labyrinthine Sundarban mangrove forest on foot.
To deepen your experience abroad, you may elect to enroll in college-level courses while participating on this program. Those who enroll in optional courses will be invoiced an additional fee on top of the land cost. To learn more, click here.
Students who take a for-credit course will receive an official transcript from a School of Record after successful completion of the program.
Through our Schools of Record, you may take the following courses for-college credit:
See full Course Offering descriptions.
*Nepali is one of the many official languages spoken in India and is the mother tongue of the majority of residents of the Himalayan foothills in northern Bengal and Sikkim.
“I learned so much from the different people that we met and the people on the course. I learned a lot just from being in a place that’s so different from anywhere else I’ve been. And each activity or lesson we had taught me something new.”
India Semester
I've learned most from the friends who lead lives so different from mine. The Ladakhi guides, the Buddhist monks and nuns, my guru ji, my host family. All these friendships I feel so lucky to have made because they have been the thing that really opened my eyes to how diverse the world can be...and really reformed my world view.
Charlie Santos India Semester