Students will take courses at the Vivekananda Institute of Indian Studies (VIIS) an arm of SVYM in Mysore. Courses are lecture-based and taught by local professors or experts in their respective fields. All students will take four courses:
- Indian Civilization and Culture
- Gender Relations in India
- Indian Labor History and Current Workforce (for ILR students) or the Indian Health Care System (for GH students)
- Kannada Language (the official language of Karnataka State)
Some classes will include field visits, such as a tour of a local factory, an excursion to a government primary healthcare center (PHC), and a visit to a local women’s shelter. Optional yoga classes will be offered every morning.
On weekends, local outings and sightseeing excursions in Mysore and the surrounding area will be offered. Previous excursions included Chamundi Hills, Mysore Palace, Sravanabelagola (a Jain holy site), the Tibetan Golden Temple, ancient Hindu temples, and explore the famous Devaraja Market.
Here is a sample of some of the classes offered at SVYM in the past.
Culture & Civilization
Ramayana & Mahabharatha
Caste in Indian Society
Tribes in India
Indian Families
Rituals & Festivals
Cultural Diversity
Minority Communities
Gender in India
Family & Marriage
Religion & Gender
Women & Work
Domestic Violence
Gender Issues in Healthcare
Feminist Movement
Labor Relations and Economics
HR Practices in NGOs
Legislation on Working Conditions & Social Security
Work & Disability
Current Labor Issues
Panel on Dispute Resolution
Legislation & Wages
Indian Healthcare
National Health Programs & State-Driven Approaches
Infectious Diseases
Food & Nutrition Security
Ethics & Medical Research
Health & Development
Public Healthcare
Healthcare in Resource-Limited Settings
HIV/AIDS in India
Mandatory Pre-Departure Course at Cornell
All students who are going to India through the ILR India SVYM Global Service Learning (GSL) Program are required to complete an ILR pre-departure course ILRIC 4260, a two-credit graded course designed to prepare students for their field experiences in India. This course will cover important topics including preparation for life abroad, inter-cultural competency, health and safety, gender issues, politics and issues surrounding development work. In addition, each student will complete a comparative research paper on a topic related to their project in India.
Details about the course will be shared with students who are selected into the GSL program. Please note that the registrar will enroll participants into the course after students have been selected to the India Program.
The course will be held on Wednesdays, 2:55-4:10pm, during the spring semester.