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The Making and Unmaking of an Indian City |
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The Making and Unmaking of an Indian City study abroad opportunity has been offered by Professor Manu Sobti first in the Spring of 2008 and thereafter in 2009. Plans are underway to develop a travel itinerary during the 2009 Winterim and contiguous studio for the following Spring 2010 semester. This Winterim course provides a pre-departure orientation session in Milwaukee, followed by three weeks of intensive travel in India. |
Students journey to the cities of New Delhi, Agra, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh, with fascinating opportunities to closely observe and experience Indian culture while developing a critical awareness of historical and cross-cultural environments. The bustling spirit of the Indian city provides a backdrop for in-depth analysis and critical mapping projects focused on an urban landscape where the elephant and skyscraper seamlessly collide. Prof. Sobti's 2008 course focused on Ahmedabad, a veritable Mecca for architects worldwide with buildings by Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn. In 2009, the focus shifted to Le Corbusier's unprecedented urban tabula rasa at Chandigarh, a relatively new city by modern-day standards energized with human activity. Each excursion climaxes during the following Spring semester with an Urban Design Studio based on that trip's regional focus or with an independent study project in the student's particular field of interest. Typically, the India Winterims are organized around active collaboration with students from other schools in the region. In Ahmedabad for instance, SARUP students work with their counterparts form the prestigious School of Architecture, Center for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) to observe, investigate, analyze and diagram the urban fabric. At Chandigarh, Prof. Sobti's course elective, co-instructed with a Chandigarh College of Architecture Professor, attracts about two dozen local students who collaborate with SARUP students in numerous charrettes and various design exercises. In addition, inclusions of outside lecturers compliment Prof. Sobti’s expertise and the student’s personal observations to provide local insight into significant issues of population growth and urban development within the local regions of India. Given the availability of research funds from the UWM Center for International Education, opportunities for directed research with Prof. Sobti may be arranged thus providing a fantastic financial opportunity to help students survey the world around them. Prof. Sobti's intimate knowledge of Indian culture surpasses any of the other programs I have encountered. He is able to offer a compelling cross-cultural perspective into the historical realities affecting India and their cultural relationship with the contemporary world. Ongoing discussions are underway between Prof. Sobti and his contacts at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, aiming to increase the breadth of future trips. A proposed inclusion of Chinese, Indian and American students will work to expand communication, knowledge and understanding on a global scale. View left for more information about the previous India Winterims and be certain to check out the photo gallery. For additional details, specific information and enrollment in the India Winterim 2010, contact Professor Manu Sobti personally via e-mail at: sobti!uwm.edu |
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