Location:

Dharmsala, India; Leh, India

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Term:

Summer

Program Overview

Program Description:

• 12 credits through Western Washington University. • Spend six weeks in a remote region of the Western Himalayas. • Work with the Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust on community-based conservation projects. • Support climate change adaptation with our Artificial Glacier project. • Study Tibetan and Ladakhi culture, history and religion. • Learn about local issues of wildlife conservation, cultural survival and adaptation to climate change. • Trek in the Himalayas in the remote western Tibetan Plateau.

The program is run in partnership with Western Washington University, but open to students from all universities. It is an intensive six-week course that encompasses academic studies in Tibetan culture, history, religion, sociology, and wildlife conservation, with service learning projects. A primary focus will be on how Himalaya communities respond to critical social and environmental challenges in ways that promote sustainability and wellbeing. This trip will be physically and emotionally demanding. It involves very basic living conditions, high altitudes, and strenuous physical activity. It will culminate with a 3-5 day trek to altitudes of up to 17,000 feet. But for those who are up to the challenge, the trip will be an immensely rewarding and transformative experience.

The program cost is a comprehensive fee that includes food, lodging, in-country transportation, admissions (temples, parks, etc.), trek and other excursions, and course materials. It does not include international airfare, visa, immunizations, personal medical expenses, or independent travel.

Setting Description:

Ladakh, in northern India, is one of highest and most remote human habitats on earth. Located between the Himalaya range to the south and the Karakoram range to the north, it is a region beset by water scarcity, fragile ecosystems and extreme climatic variation. Ladakhis have resourcefully dealt with these harsh conditions for over a thousand years, using longstanding practices that integrate environmental knowledge with social and religious understandings. Now confronting globalization and climate change, they are grappling with how to develop in a sustainable manner. These environmental challenges represent a unique natural setting for first-hand understanding of social adaptation and sustainability.

Cost:

$5750