June 24 - July 20, 2019
Program Description
An increasingly urbanized population transforms the periphery of human settlements through technological shifts, real estate development, and environmental degradation fueling both social and economic change as well as public concerns around issues of public health and overall quality of life. This program will be based in Jaipur, an 18th century planned city that has grown well beyond the seven gates of its fortress walls. Through lectures, google-mapping, and interviews at a habitat on the edge of the city, students will be paired with local university architecture students to create a multifaceted narrative of the settlement. Learning outcomes will include the ability to: analyze contextual conditions of marginalized urban communities; demonstrate an understanding of issues like public health, economic development, social change, food production and accessibility that shape everyday life; and construct coherent arguments around the meaning and purpose of human development.
Courses & Fieldwork
- Faculty
- Sanjeev Vidyarthi, Professor of Urban Planning and Policy
- Chris Deegan, Executive Director of Study Abroad
- Comprehending Contemporary India [3 credits]
- This course will provide a broad overview of ideas and insights about contemporary India including themes of national development since the country's independence in 1947; concepts of nation-building, state-led societal transformation, and urbanization.
- Understanding Place [3 credits]
- This course will provide background knowledge about the socio-spatial organization of communities in northwest India.
- It will review relevant research methods like interviews and participant observation. Additionally, students will learn to
use and apply techniques like Google Maps and Google Earth to help map and understand a local place.
- Fieldwork [an embedded component of both courses]
- In collaboration with architecture students from Aayojan School of Architecture in Jaipur, students will map a community on the edge of the city to study the physical landscape and environment, and the socio-spatial aspects of place.
Special Features
- 1-week in Chicago, 3-weeks in India
- Survival Hindi language
- Excursions in Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra, and visits to UNESCO heritage sites
including: Qutb Minar, Humayan's Tomb, Amer Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort, and the Taj Mahal
Eligibility
- Enrolled at UIC at time of application; minimum 12 hours completed at UIC; a minimum GPA of 2.5.
- Students must also be able to adapt to the extreme heat of Indian summers [often over 100F in June-July].
Cost
Program fee TBA includes tuition, housing, most meals, orientations and excursions. Additional expenses include: airfare, meals not covered, personal expenses and optional travel. Financial Aid may apply.
For questions, please contact the Study Abroad Office.
***This program may be cancelled if minimum enrollment is not met***
