Posted 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024
By Guy Herling, College of Science & Health
“My most memorable moment probably couldn’t be narrowed down to just one,” is how Elizabeth Powers (management major) characterized the richness of her study abroad experience in Nepal.
This response likely satisfied Powers’ instructor, Niti Mishra (Geography and Environmental Science), whose goal was to offer students an unforgettable experience in Nepal. The course spanned two weeks, with lectures facilitated by Nepali experts in environmental sustainability, wildlife ecology, religion and finance. The field study part of the class took students form Nepal’s plains at 300 feet above sea level to the mountains topping out at 11,000 feet above sea level — within about 100 miles.
As Mishra states, “We were able to look at how the ecological issues, landscapes and livelihoods of people differ by elevation.”
Whether it was the four-day high elevation trek, paragliding or navigating the chaos of Kathmandu’s traffic, the students reveled in the physical challenges and personal interaction with the Nepali people.
“I was surprised at how they overcame their inhibitions, and each individual student impressed me with what they achieved,” Mishra says.
While monitoring changes to Himalayan glaciers with undergraduate research students in Nepal, Mishra was inspired to offer an interdisciplinary class to a group of students from varied academic majors.
“Students came with differing expectations, interests and questions,” says Mishra, who utilized his established network of research collaborators from Tribhuvan University and the Biological Society of Nepal to develop the didactic content for the class.
Mishra plans to build on the experience gained from this recently completed study abroad class to offer another in the future.
And he appreciates the educational opportunities, saying, “The ecological issues, climate change, waste management, overpopulation, stress on infrastructure and resources, clean water, and the adverse impacts form natural disasters we see in Nepal are reflective of what we see in other developing countries.”