Study Abroad
Studying abroad in South Asia is not required for the South Asia Concentration, but it is a great
way to enrich your knowledge of the region. There are a number of Smith-approved programs and a
variety of other programs as well.
Smith-Approved Programs
Terms: Fall
Location: Bodh Gaya, Bihar (India)
Program participants
live and study in a Burmese Vihar (monastery). Emphasis is placed on a comparative approach to
both theory and practice of the varieties of Buddhism and the cultural and historical environments
in which it has flourished.
What students have to say
For more information, contact Andy Rotman (religion),
who was a student and teacher on the program, or Jay Garfield (philosophy).
Terms: Year
Location: Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh (India)
Students
can study Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan history and culture and Tibetan textual analysis in an intensive
program taught by the faculty of the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Sarnath, India.
For more information, contact Jay Garfield (philosophy),
who organizes this program.
Contemporary
India: Development, Environment, Public Health
Terms: Year,
Fall, Spring, Summer
Location: Pune, Maharashtra (India)
The program is designed
for students from a wide variety of majors and academic interests, with a curriculum that spans
development studies, economics, public health, environmental studies, international affairs,
political science, film and media studies, anthropology, history and women's studies.
What students have to
say
For more information, contact Andy Rotman (religion),
who is the founding board member.
College
Year in India (University of Wisconsin)
Terms: Year, Fall, Spring
Location: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (India)
This program, founded in 1961, offers
students the opportunity to live and study in Varanasi - a center of learning and education for
more than 2,000 years. Students study Hindi intensively, take tutorials in the subject of their
choice, and engage in independent research.
What students have to say
For more information,contact Andy
Rotman (religion), who often lectures for the program.
South India Term Abroad (Smith consortium program)
Terms: Year, Fall, Spring
Location: Madurai, Tamil Nadu (India)
SITA is a semester or year-long immersion experience
offering ample opportunities to observe and participate in the cultural environment of South India.
SITA 2012 Newsletter
What students have to say
For more information, contact Nalini
Bhushan (philosophy), who is the Smith campus representative.
Tibetan Studies in
India (Five Colleges)
Terms: J-term
Location: Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh (India)
As part of an ongoing academic exchange
program with the Tibetan universities in exile in India, each year the Five Colleges send up to
fifteen students to spend January term studying Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan history and culture,
and Tibetan textual analysis in an intensive program taught by the faculty of the Central University
of Tibetan Studies in Sarnath, India.
What students have to say
For more information, contact Jay
Garfield (philosophy), who directs this program.
Contemporary India: Development
"The Alliance for Global Education's program in India is only a few years old, but
the organization has established a number of other programs in China previously, and so their
newest endeavor was still well-organized and efficiently run. We had a few field trips organized
by the program, which I really enjoyed, and I thought the workload was rigorous, but not overwhelming.
I had the opportunity to go on four or five weekend trips around India, and every place I went
was absolutely beautiful. Of course, there are a lot of cultural differences that require adjusting
to, but overall I would highly recommend the program and experience."
–Carolyn Drake '11
Buddhist Studies in India
"I would highly recommend the Antioch Buddhist Program in Bodh Gaya to all who are enthusiastic
about studying Buddhism both academically and practically for an entire semester. It is run smoothly
by Robert Pryor, who is a wonderful and caring man, much like a grandfather, and who has over
30 years of Indian abroad program experience. Through this program, the student gets a well-rounded
education on the three major Buddhist traditions in the central hub of Buddhism pilgrimage on
Earth — Bodh Gaya. Some classes even have the student interact with different pilgrims,
and all are free to visit and spend time at the Mahabodhi Temple in their free time."
–Chime Lama '11
"The Antioch program in India was one of the most important experiences of my life. The
program was challenging, both academically and personally. It set me down in a culture where
all my assumptions and expectations about how one lives their life were turned on their head.
India is half way around the earth geographically and culturally. Being there gave me a new perspective
on my life in U.S. and opened me to a new understanding of who I am and what I want for myself."
–Anya Kramer '12
"I would recommend this program to anyone and everyone if they are even the slightest bit
interested in it. It's only there that one can truly begin to discover who they are— or,
at least it really helps!"
–Maia Nikitovich '12
South India Term Abroad
"I truly love the SITA program and I would recommend it to anyone without hesitation! Aside
from the high level of support given by the program, the other aspect of SITA that makes it so
special are the wonderful opportunities for immersion and travel within India. I feel that I
got the most out of India that I possibly could have in my five months there and SITA was a perfect
fit."
–Marisa Boynton '11
Year in India
"I would recommend this program only to the very self-reliant, academically independent
student with a deep interest in learning Hindi. This is a great opportunity to get your nose
out of a book and learn from the world around you — in a city that has endless things for
you to understand. I would not recommend this program to most students because it is a huge challenge,
and will likely be the hardest year of your life. That alone is worth the amount of personal
growth you will meet with, but not everyone is up for that."
–Marianna Ballou '11
Tibetan Studies in India
"I would recommend this program to anyone, even to those who have never traveled before,
without a doubt. Not everyone who goes on the program is a religion, philosophy, anthropology,
etc. major, but there are few disciplines that would have nothing to gain or contribute to the
program. The classes are philosophy—heavy because they are designed to teach you the basics
of an extensive philosophical system that has been debated and elaborated for centuries, but
they are not difficult as long as you have the patience for sometimes rocky translations and
repetition. I think that one of the most valuable educational experiences is observing what it
is like to really live a system of belief and experience a society (or two! Tibetan and Indian)
that has so uniformly adopted and examined a religious philosophy. The experience is really incomparable."
–Jaymie Zapata '11
