India Program 2008
The Bush School's India Program of 2008 was a two week educational program integrating classroom teaching with relevant site visits, focusing on the economic development and political economy of India. The program, hosted in India's capital Delhi, introduced students currently studying public administration and international affairs to the economic, political, security and cultural dimensions of India. The seminar was held in conjunction with one of India's leading institutes of higher education, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Professor Alokesh Barua at JNU's School of International Studies, was the coordinator of the program, organizing the lectures and site visits.
During the week, students participated in two morning lectures. The lectures were given by experts on the various economic and political topics covered in the seminar. In the afternoon, students would attend various field trips, which augmented the day's lectures, to a variety of sites around the Delhi area (ex: Ministry of Finance, Indian Military Think Tank, Micro-Credit NGO, Economic Advisor of India). During these visits, students were encouraged to ask questions, participate in the presentations and site tours (ex: walking around with the Micro-Credit NGO talking with the women groups participating in the program). The weekends were used for more extended field trips, including both educational and tourists' sites. Students were graded on their participation in the program, including their contribution to an India trip blog, and a research paper and presentation given later in the Spring term. The research paper and presentation constituted the majority of the students' grade.
Link to blog:
http://india.diminishedreturns.com [external site]
India 2010:
Look for details in the Summer of 2009.
