Social Issues and Sustainable Development in India
Connect with communities and students in India, building sustainable futures together.
Embedded in the rich communities of Delhi and Dharamshala, this program explores the topics of sustainable development and health and social issues. You will co-learn with local Indian students, visit a range of historic and cultural sites, and engage with various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their clients to understand their contributions to solving local issues. One of those NGOs is a feminist collective homestead, where you will live for several days and share in community activities.
These experiences will introduce you to India’s unique sociopolitical context and illustrate how the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals are applied at a local level in India and reflect on their relationship to Canada. You will be challenged to critically reflect on specific regions of India and the impact of health and social service delivery systems on urban, rural, disadvantaged, and marginalized peoples – and ultimately practice skills used to overcome these barriers and promote social justice within diverse groups. To finish your program, you will spend an overnight seeing the sights of Agra, including the Taj Mahal!
UCalgary students from all faculties with an interest in sustainable development and community practice are welcome to participate! This interdisciplinary program will provide learning that can be applied towards diverse academic and professional fields and will help inform ethical approaches to working in intercultural communities.
Note, this program is facilitated by the UCalgary Social Work faculty, in collaboration with Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMI) in Delhi and the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CU) in Dharamshala.
Key information
Student experience
Leancy Robles, 2025 Program participant
2026 Info Session
Have questions?
For program information, please contact Christine Walsh at cwalsh@ucalgary.ca
For application and registration support, please contact the Group Study Team at group.study@ucalgary.ca
Other useful links:
Program details
The information below was last updated on: September 10, 2025
Questions about these courses should be directed to the program instructors.
Please note: course descriptions are tentative and subject to change.
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Courses offered
Students on this program are required to enroll in two courses:
UNIV 501.86 or SOWK 557.51: Social Issues in India (3 units)
UNIV 501.81 or SOWK 557.49: Intercultural Practices and Sustainable Development (3 units)
Note: 2 course outlines are linked above for each course, but the course content is the same; there are just different types of credit available. Participants from UCalgary's Faculty of Social Work may choose to receive SOWK or UNIV credit. Participants from other faculties will receive UNIV credit unless otherwise negotiated.
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Prerequisites
The prerequisite for registration in all of the courses offered on this program is by consent of the instructor.
Travel can be unpredictable! GSP travel itineraries are tentative and subject to change, including while in field. Click here for a detailed itinerary.
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Pre-departure
February or March (date TBD), Calgary: Mandatory Group Travel Clinic and Wilderness First Aid Workshop
*Students from the online Social Work degree who live outside of Calgary, please contact us to discuss alternate options for you to complete these requirements.June 29, 9am-2pm, Zoom: Mandatory Pre-departure Orientation facilitated by the Global Learning office. This will be followed by a course introduction (cultural humility and sustainable development goals), lunch break, and Guest Lecture #1 (Social Issues in India)
July 3, online: Submit Assignment #1 for both courses
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In-field
July 5, Calgary/Delhi: Depart Calgary for flight to Delhi, India
July 6, Delhi: Flight arrives in PM. Bus to Nehru Guest House at Jamia Milla Islamia (NGH-JMI); welcome & introductions
July 7-10, Delhi: Visiting NGOs in Delhi and learning about the Indian social context (history, political economy, and family) from guest lecturers. Cultural excursions/activities may include: Janpath and Khan Market, Mehrauli Archaeological Park, and the Humayun Tomb
July 11, Dharamshala: Flight to Dharamshala, arrive in AM. Bus to Jagori feminist collective; welcome lunch and participation in cultural activities with residents. Guest lecture and group dinner
July 12-15, Dharamshala: Visiting NGOs in Dharamshala and continued guest lecturers (NGOs, migration issues, and child protection). Cultural excursions/activities may include: Norbulinga Institute of Tibetan Culture, MacLeod Ganj, local sightseeing around Dharamshala (cricket stadium, monasteries, etc.), and a sound bath meditation
July 16, Delhi: Return flight to Delhi, arrive in AM. Bus back to NGH-JMI for lunch. Activities TBD, may include trip to Old Delhi
July 17, Agra: Bus to Agra in AM and hotel check-in. Full day of Cultural Excursions, including tour of Taj Mahal
July 18, Delhi: Visit Agra Fort in AM before bus back to Delhi. Group lunch & debrief, with time for tea/souvenir shopping. Depart Delhi in evening for return flight to Calgary (or students may continue on independent travel)
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Post-field
July 28: Final Assignment due for Sustainable Development course
July 30: Final Assignment due for Social Issues course
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Costs
The estimated cost of Social Issues and Sustainable Development in India includes tuition, airfare, field trips, local transportation, accommodations and meals. The program cost is $7,112.
For the full cost breakdown and payment deadlines, please see the Student Cost Summary.
Important information regarding deposit payments: Deposits are non-refundable. Deposits secure your space in the program and allows payment for logistical arrangements to be made in advance.
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Funding
Did you know that you can take your UCalgary funding with you? Since you are studying UCalgary courses and paying UCalgary tuition, you remain eligible for any awards and scholarships you are otherwise eligible to receive from the university, as well as student loans.
Our office administers several awards, including the Global Access Fund and the Global Learning Award. Students may only receive these awards once. Please see the funding page, linked below, for more information.
Accommodations vary by city. In all cases, they are simple, safe, and affordable, and have been used in previous iterations of the program.
Delhi: Students will stay at Jamia Milla Islamia university and be housed on-campus at a guest house. These are shared rooms with 2-4 students each.
Dharamshala: Students will stay at Jagori, a feminist collective/co-operative living organization in a small mountain village. This is a secure compound with multiple small buildings. Rooms are shared between 2-3 students and each room has a private washroom.
Agra: Students will stay at a hotel in the tourist area of the city. Anticipate sharing a room with at least 1 other student.
This program is open to undergraduate students in good academic standing from all faculties.
Applications will be considered after your online application and supplementary documents have been received in full.
Please read the sections below for information about what your application will include. The application is completed online. Because the online application will time out after 1 hour, we recommend writing out your answers to the application questions in a Word document and preparing any of the supplementary documents you may need in advance.
Once you are ready, click here to access the application system.
Announcements on whether you have been selected to the program will not be distributed until after the November 10 deadline.
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Written application questions
All Group Study Programs have general questions about how the program will meet your goals (academic reasons, personal interest, career prospects, etc.), how you plan to finance your program, and coping skills for travelling abroad. These questions are designed to help narrow down your motivation for applying and why you should be selected.
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Unofficial Transcript
Download an unofficial transcript from your Student Centre. Click here for a step-by-step guide to access your unofficial transcript.
You will be asked to upload your transcript as a PDF in the online application.
Note: Social Work students in the post-diploma program may instead provide a copy of their diploma.
Q: Part of the program is held at a feminist collective. Does that mean only female-identified students can participate in this program?
No, participants of all genders are welcome! The Jagori feminist collective that you will stay at in Dharamshala is happy to host our group regardless of gender identity.
Q: Can I travel independently around India after the program?
Yes, however, we strongly encourage you to plan your post-program travel thoughtfully and well in advance. Unlike some destinations where spontaneous backpacking might be more straightforward, traveling solo in India requires a higher level of preparation and situational awareness.
India is a vibrant and rewarding country to explore, but it’s also complex — with diverse cultural norms, infrastructure variations, and safety considerations that can differ significantly from what you may be used to. To ensure a safe and enriching experience, we recommend:
- Researching your destinations thoroughly and having a clear itinerary.
- Booking accommodations and transportation in advance.
- Staying informed about local customs and safety guidelines.
- Avoiding travel alone at night or in remote areas.
- Keeping emergency contacts and travel insurance details accessible.
- Dressing in a way that is culturally respectful, especially in more conservative regions. This may mean covering shoulders and legs, avoiding revealing clothing, and being mindful of local expectations, particularly when visiting religious or rural areas.
We’re happy to provide resources and guidance to help you prepare for independent travel. Just reach out to the program team before your departure!
Please ensure that you have read the Group Study Program General FAQs thoroughly before applying.
I learned firsthand the history of India, their child welfare system, and the effect of how a collectivist society views the need to keep the family together, even impoverished individuals. This has supported my view of family vs societal constructs of what makes up a safe, loving family and the need to fight for the rights of low-economic status families in my social work practice. Additionally, the scenery, the food and our hosts were absolutely fantastic to us and provided an amazing educational & tourist opportunity wrapped up into one.
Dawn La Croix (Social Work)
2024 Program Participant
Going to India was such an unexpected, yet so fulfilling, trip for me. India was never really at the top of my bucket list of travels [...] Little did I know, I would leave India with exactly what I wanted to experience and memories that will last a lifetime. I had the privilege to learn from professors, scholars, local organization leaders, and some from our Indian friends. I also had the opportunity to immerse myself in the Indian culture, which I find complex, yet so vibrant, so unique, and so beautiful. The best part of it all was meeting the people there and the relationships we built in such a short period of time. Of course, experiencing it all with my India study abroad team.
L.R. (Social Work)
2025 Program Participant
Previous Program Experiences
The advisor for this program is: Andrea Santos V.
Getting started
Program-Specific Info Sessions
Info sessions are scheduled for every Group Study Program. Attending an info session is not required to apply, but strongly recommended as it will give you an opportunity to meet the instructor and learn more about the travel experience.
We also recommend watching Global Learning 101 for general information.
Global Learning Advising
If you have questions about this program, you can meet with one of our Global Learning Advisors by emailing group.study@ucalgary.ca or booking an appointment through the link below.
1. Select "Advising"
2. Select “Study Abroad”
3. Select “Book by Appointment Type”
4. Select your program advisor to view available times.
Academic Advising
Before applying to study abroad, you should ask your academic advisor how a Group Study Program might align with your degree.
After you are accepted, you should ask your academic advisor more specific questions about courses/credits. It’s also recommended to follow up with your advisor again once you return to Calgary.
Start your application
Once you have gathered everything you need, you can begin your application!
Please note: Applications will not be considered complete until all required documents are submitted in full.
International travel presents challenges that may not be found when attending classes on campus. There may be a lack of resources, emergency services, hospitals, accessibility issues and/or demands on the physical and the mental self, all of which can challenge individuals when away from their usual support systems and structures. Adequate preparation is essential.
For this reason, it is imperative that you evaluate all aspects of your own physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual condition against the rigors of the particular global learning program you are selecting. If you are unsure of whether or not this program is a good fit for you and/or if you have any circumstances that could impede your enjoyment of the program, please contact us. Our Global Learning Advisors will be happy to assist in finding the best options for you and arrange any supports or accommodations necessary to ensure your success.
If you have or are seeking a certificate from Student Accessibility Services, you should provide this early to your Global Learning Advisor to ensure that the option that you are seeking can support your needs.
Please note: All participants must adhere to COVID-19 and other vaccination-related requirements for the destinations visited on this program. Failure to do so may have consequences such as being denied access to accommodation/housing, program activities, or to the host country itself.