Description

Explore the links between public health and human rights, with a focus on women, children, tribal, and other marginalized and vulnerable populations in India.

This program studies the relationship between human rights and health in a field-study context. Students will analyze specific case studies that illuminate the problems, prospects, and potential methods of promoting health. Advocacy efforts for health and human rights on the national and international levels are also examined, while considering relevant international declarations such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Topics of study include:
* The political economy of health (globalization, the WTO, the IMF and World Bank)
* "Health" and its relationship to human fulfillment
* Regional and grassroots approaches to improving access to health care
* Social determinants of health (poverty, oppression, caste, and hierarchy)
* The meaning of "human rights" in relation to health and state sovereignty

Students will spend time at leading local, regional, national, and international institutions, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) India Office, the Population Foundation of India, and the Centre for Health, Education, Training and Nutrition Awareness. Students will also spend a week interning with a local organization or individual actively working for public health and positive change in India.

The program includes intensive instruction in Hindi and a ten-week homestay with an Indian host family located near the SIT program center in New Delhi.

Highlights

Thematic Seminar on Health and Human Rights
The program's thematic seminar includes lectures by nationally prominent academics and experts in the fields of health and human rights. Lectures will address issues such as:

* International principles of public health and human rights
* Public health system in India: traditional, Ayurved, Homeopath, Unani, and Allopath
* Malnourishment
* Issues and challenges pertaining to mental health
* Major debilitating diseases such as TB, malaria, and polio
* Reproductive health and HIV/AIDS
* Privatization of medical education
* Health tourism

Internship with an Indian NGO
Students will spend one week of the semester working with a local organization or individual actively working for public health and positive change in India. This gives students the chance to examine health related work first hand and to have practical experience in the field in preparation for the Independent Study Project.

Learning Hindi
Students receive intensive instruction in standard khari boli Hindi. The four-credit course emphasizes speaking and comprehension skills through classroom and field instruction. Students are strongly encouraged to practice their language skills outside the classroom by using Hindi in daily life, particularly with host families and during their internship.

Independent Study Project
During the final month of the semester, students will work on an Independent Study Project (ISP) to critically examine a topic, situation, or community relevant to the topic of health and human rights in India. The ISP is conducted in North India or in another approved location appropriate to the project.

Degree Level

Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Subject Areas

Cost in US$:

USD 14,252 - may vary; please Contact us for updates.

Experience Required

no

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Group living
• Home-stays

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups of 15-20

Scholarships are Available

SIT Study Abroad awarded USD 750,000 in scholarships in 2011. About one-third of scholarship applicants receive financial assistance to participate in our programs. Only SIT Study Abroad participants can be considered for SIT Study Abroad scholarships. Awards generally range from USD 500 to USD 5,000 for semester programs, and USD 300 to USD 3,000 for summer programs. Financial need is a primary consideration for all of our scholarship decisions.

Application Process Involves

• Essay
• Letters of Reference
• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Transcript

Typically The Application Process Time is

3 weeks

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Job and Internship Network

SIT Study Abroad's Mission Statement

A pioneer in experiential, field-based study abroad, SIT offers semester, summer, and academic year programs for undergraduate students in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as comparative programs in multiple locations.

Programs focus on critical global issues in specific geographical and cultural contexts using an interdisciplinary approach. Studying with host country faculty and living with families, students gain a deep appreciation for local cultures and become immersed in diverse topics ranging from the politics of identity to post-conflict transformation, from global health to environmental policy. 

Year Founded

1932