We announced a few weeks ¡­

We announced a few weeks ago that the SUM4001 (SUM 3000 India module) would not be held this year due to a lack of support for the module from 'l?nekassen'. Since that time, Hal Wilhite (leader of our CES masters) has been able to negotiate an alternative solution with our cooperation Indian institution CSE.

Volunteer students will be able to make the trip to CSE on their own, where they will conduct project group work supervised by CSE staff. The difference this year will be that participating students will not be accompanied by SUM staff, they must cover their own travel and course fee, the stay will be reduced from 4 to 3 weeks (9-30 March), and the formal program of instruction will be less comprehensive. These modifications mean that the course fee to be covered by each student would be reduced to $1000.

In addition, students will organize and pay their airline fare, probably around kr 8500, as well as fees for vaccinations, medication and so on.

More specifically, CSE is offering the following for participating students:

• CSE training & facilitation fee
• Use of learning/research facilities (incl. photocopying, use of a common room with computers and Internet use)
• Lectures/talks by CSE programme staff and outside experts
• A couple of local field trips in and around Delhi
• Three-week stay at Jamia (double occupancy)
• All meals, refreshments at Jamia & CSE

We are opening this India option for Master students who are interested in going as well (SUM 4000). These students will include the India field study as part of their individual term paper. However, Masters students who make the trip will still only receive 10 credit points for the course, even though they will have a heavier course workload in comparison to SUM 4000 students who remain in Norway.

Several students have already let us know that they want to make the India trip.

Because of the need to book accommodation in Delhi as soon as possible, we ask all who are willing to commit to this module to let us know by 19. December.

There are issues of insurance and other practical questions that we will give you more information about at a later point. It will for instance be wise of you to order your tickets as a group. SUM can reserve a room for you if you need to meet in advance of the trip to organise practical issues. These are however questions we can deal with when we know who and how many are interested in making the trip!

Contact me at Hanna.Ihlebak@sum.uio.no if you have intentions of going to India or need more information.