Understanding India: An Ancient Civilization, A Modern Nation

• INTRODUCTION

  The purpose of the program was to give the US educators an insight into India. What defines India? To what extent is it history and culture, to what extent its status as the IT superpower? The program looked at the duality of India's nuclear power status and its philosophy of peaceful co-existence. While providing an exposure to different aspects of India's heritage, the program also focused on contemporary but important issues in economic development, environment and ecology, education, gender, and Indo-American relations. The impetus of the seminar was to help the visiting educators understand modern-day India against the backdrop of its history and culture.

  The program consisted of two phases, namely, (i) academic and (ii) field visits. The academic program of one week was held in New Delhi and followed a multi-disciplinary approach involving formal lectures, interviews, and discussions with prominent scholars and public personalities. The field visit phase of about two and a half weeks that followed exposed participants to the geographical and regional diversities of the country. This phase was composed of travel to Varanasi, Khajuraho, Agra, Jaipur, Kolkata, Bangalore, Mysore and Cochin.

  The seminar was designed to enrich the participants' knowledge by combining academic and cultural experiences. Visits to schools, colleges and museums, and rural areas were interspersed with demonstrations of Indian dance and music. Visits were also arranged to NGOs working in the field of environment and leading IT corporates. Where feasible within the group's program, time was allocated for participants to pursue their individual academic interests.

  Schedule in India
  Participant Brief CVs
  Curriculum Projects Abstract