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TO EDUCATION, FOREIGN, AND NATIONAL EDITORS:
New Bhutan Study Abroad Program to Launch at Naropa University
BOULDER, Colo., April 16, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Naropa
University has signed an agreement to become the first North American
university authorized to offer an accredited study abroad program
through the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB), the national university
located on multiple campuses across the Kingdom. Launching in January
2015, this new program will offer students the opportunity to deepen
their roles as global citizens and to cultivate leadership and
intercultural communication skills through international learning at
the RUB. For more information, please visit naropa.edu/bhutan.
The Bhutan Study Abroad Program (BSAP) will be open to Naropa
undergraduate students, as well as those studying at other U.S.
colleges. Students will study Bhutanese culture, customs, spiritual
identity, and diverse ethnography, as well as issues of modern Bhutan,
a small Buddhist kingdom at the Eastern end of the Himalayas. Located
between India and China, Bhutan is part of the greater geo-political
landscape facing the challenge of preserving and maintaining its deep
cultural and spiritual heritage while also supporting citizens as they
become interconnected members of an increasingly linked world.
"We are honored to have been selected as a partner to the Royal
University of Bhutan as the North American university offering this
unique study abroad program," said Naropa President Charles G. Lief.
"Bhutan is one of the extraordinary places on earth, with a kind and
generous population, physical beauty, and determination to integrate
21st century progress with its deeply rooted spirituality. This
student-to-student exchange can lead to lifelong friendships and
collaborations."
Through this program, students will fully immerse themselves in the
Bhutanese world and understand first-hand the concept of Gross
National Happiness, the unique and comprehensive set of metrics
developed in 1972 to measure economic, social, and environmental
progress. Local and regional governments throughout the world have
adapted forms of this system of measurement as a more holistic way to
understand social dynamics and economic progress.
The semester-long program will include an online orientation prior to
departure, and begin in Bhutan with a three-week intensive orientation
offered by Naropa faculty. Students will then move to one of the
selected RUB campuses, live in dorms with Bhutanese roommates, and
enroll in two courses. Courses will cover topics such as traditional
culture and contemporary issues of Bhutan, contemplative studies and
intercultural awareness, and environmental sustainability. Students
will also have the option to participate in guided independent study
of a topic they want to research while in Bhutan.
Naropa University faculty has been working with counterparts at RUB to
create curricula in the areas of education, counseling psychology, and
environmental studies. Naropa faculty will spend time in Bhutan each
year, and Naropa is pleased to regularly host Bhutanese scholars in
Boulder. This unique study abroad program is an important deepening of
the inter-university relationship.
About Naropa University (www.naropa.edu): Located in Boulder,
Colorado, Naropa University is a private, liberal arts institution
offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Celebrating its
40th Anniversary in 2014-15, Naropa University is a leader in
contemplative education, an approach to learning and teaching that
integrates Eastern wisdom studies and traditional Western scholarship.
Naropa University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and
is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Naropa University Bill Rigler Director of University Relations
303-245-3533, email: brigler@naropa.edu
SOURCE Naropa University
-0- 04/16/2014
/Web Site: http://www.naropa.edu
CO: Naropa University
ST: Bhutan Colorado
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0000 04/16/2014 18:00:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
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