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India Studies Program launches faculty-led study abroad course

GIS 3300 will be offered in Winter term 2014, students can enroll now and apply for scholarships

The India Studies Program is offering for the first time a faculty-led study abroad opportunity in India.

“The experiential learning that results from traveling in India will provide students with insight into the lives of the 1.2 billion people who call India their home,” said Dr. Anjali Kanojia, who is organizing the study abroad program and will be the instructor for the inaugural class and trip.

Launching in the 2014 winter term, the India study abroad class is identified in the university course catalog as a Global and International Studies class, GIS 3300: Interdisciplinary India: Study Abroad. It is a three-credit course.

Students will study online for the first week of the winter term, December 20 – 26. The online coursework includes lectures, readings and films that will provide background for the trip by addressing Indian history, culture and society.

Dr. Kanojia and the students will depart from Houston for India on December 27 and return to Houston on January 14, 2015.

Students will focus on the history and culture of each of the cities they visit, including Mumbai, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Agra, Khajuraho, Varanasi, and Delhi. They will also complete research projects related to their major discipline and interests.

Students from all UH majors are encouraged to enroll in the India study abroad course. Students who have completed India Studies courses or are enrolled in a Fall 2014 India Studies course will be accepted into the study abroad course first.

“We want to equip students with a well-rounded, multi-disciplinary perspective on Indian society past and present,” said Dr. Lois Zamora, chair of the Department of Comparative Cultural Studies, which houses the India Studies Program.

The cost of the course is $3,200, which covers round-trip airfare, accommodations, meals and overseas programming.

To cover the course fee, study abroad scholarships of up to $2,000 are available, thanks to the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Gopal Savjani, Mr. and Mrs. Bal Sareen, the UH India Studies Advisory Board and the office of the UH Vice Provost for Global Strategies and Studies, Dr. Zamora said.

To review the criteria for scholarship eligibility and download the scholarship application, go to the India Studies Program website at http://www.uh.edu/class/ccs/india-studies/studyabroad/index.php.