Description

Through thematic lectures and field work, students explore issues of cultural preservation, religious revival, and sub-regional geopolitics and are challenged to consider the contemporary and historic linkages connecting different Himalayan communities. Questions of self-identification and recognition, as well as issues of diaspora, exile, and migration, are important topics for analysis in this program.

From the program base in Nepal, students gain access to a rich array of academic resources throughout the Kathmandu Valley and beyond, learning from prominent Tibetan and Newar Buddhist scholars, as well as regional, ethnic (Sherpa and Tamang), and community experts.

Highlights

The Nepal: Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples program examines the myriad factors including historical, religious, economic, and political forces that have shaped, and continue to shape, the diverse Himalayan communities inhabiting Nepal, northern India and the Tibetan Autonomous Region in China. Particular emphasis is placed on societies of Tibetan/Himalayan Buddhist cultures.

Lectures and discussions on this program, provided both in Nepal and on excursion, incorporate the following topics:

* Regional History and Politics including twentieth century occupation and exile; the CIA intervention in Tibet; the Dalai Lama and his Middle Way Approach; negotiations with China; and human rights in Tibet.
* Buddhism Across the Himalayas including philosophical debate and the tradition of the masked dances of the Tantric deities; Newar and Theravadin Buddhist traditions in Nepal; religious tourism and pilgrimage; and meditation and retreat.
* Contemporary Tibetan Culture including an overview of women's issues in exile; the new Tibetan dream of going to the West; nongovernmental organizations; and monastic versus modern education.
* Cultural Anthropology including social structures in Tibetan exile communities and in Tibet.
* Arts and Sciences including an introduction to Tibetan medicine and astrology; Tibetan thangka painting; symbolism and art in the Tibetan tradition; and secular music of Tibet.

Degree Level

Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Subject Areas

Cost in US$:

contact sponsor

Program Fees Include:

Please inquire for costs: Fees include tuition, full room and board, all field trips and related fares, health and accident insurance, and other direct program expenses. Participants pay for international airfare and domestic travel to the point of departure from the USA.

Experience Required

no

This Program is open to

American and Worldwide Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Group living
• Home-stays
• Other

Participants Travel

in Groups

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups of 12-15

Scholarships are Available

To make study abroad opportunities available to a wide range of students, SIT Study Abroad offers a variety of scholarships. We base all scholarship awards on need and merit. Awards range from USD 500 to USD 5,000. For a full list of scholarships, and to download a scholarship application, please visit our web site.

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Transcript
• Written Application

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