September 19, 2023

Summer study abroad program explored social entrepreneurship, population health in India

Eight University of Washington undergraduate students representing several different schools and colleges recently returned from a three-week study abroad program, “Social Entrepreneurship and Population Health in India.” New in 2023, this partnership between the Population Health Initiative, the School of Public Health and the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance offered students the opportunity to explore how social innovation and social entrepreneurship can positively impact society by addressing key social issues.

This course was established with the intention of immersing students in the origins and evolution of social entrepreneurship, giving them the opportunity to learn from both globally renowned and grassroots models. Before departing, the students participated in several orientation sessions, including an introduction to social entrepreneurship and population halth, course expectations and travel itinerary, cohort building activities and conversations and discussions regarding the works Purpose Mindset and Beyond Guilt Trips.

The first phase of the program took the students to Bangalore, India, which is a huge metropolitan capital city in southern India and is often referred to as the “Silicon Valley of India” due to its high concentration of technology corporations. While there, students received an introduction to the organization that originated the modern concept of social entrepreneurship, the Ashoka Foundation.

In the program’s second phase, the cohort flew to the much more rural location of Leh, Ladakh, in northern India to learn more about social entrepreneurship in the Himalayas through the Naropa Fellowship. Here, the students apprenticed as pairs with Naropa fellows to learn how social entrepreneurs have used their training to address population health issues unique to rural mountain communities. Some of the Naropa Fellowship organizations included were:

• Nima Goos Goos, an initiative with the purpose of awakening the community to the nutritional and economic value of local herbs and agriculture, and to empower the farmers and foragers of the Himalayan region.
• Ladakh Basket, a community-driven social venture showcasing the unique narratives of its people, land, and culture through its local indigenous produce. It is Ladakh’s first eCommerce platform to market the local indigenous products of Ladakh produced by local farmers, artisans, SHGs etc.​
• Siachen Naturals, a line of products with the aim to transform the agro-economic ecosystem of the Siachen region by producing food products grown, processed, and manufactured locally. The products are all derived from indigenous farming techniques and traditional Ladakhi recipes.
• De Khambir, a food junction for enjoying authentic Ladakhi cuisines made from local ingredients throughout all seasons with the aim of preserving local cuisine and ingredients of Ladakh and to share it with the rest of the world.

The time spent with the Ashoka Foundation and the Naropa Fellowship organizations was the foundation for the program’s academic activities. Students presented case studies, performed field observations, journaled on their experiences and participated in various reflection activities; these non-traditional activities provided an alternative to everyday classwork and offered diverse, hands-on learning.

“Working with social entrepreneurs in Ladakh and Bangalore has become a dynamic, transformative, and thought provoking opportunity to co-produce learning, understanding, and culturally responsive approaches with communities outside our own, but also to take back into our own community and connections.” – Willow, Study Abroad Student

The program was led by UW faculty members Alissa Bilfield of the Nutritional Sciences Program and the Department of Environmental &Occupational Health Sciences, and Akhtar Badshah of the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance as well as the Bothell School of Business.

“Flipping the paradigm in social innovation education where students are usually asked to come up with solutions for problems that often are not ‘theirs’ and instead this model provides deep learning experiences through shadowing and apprenticeship in the field.” – Alissa Bilfield, faculty co-lead

The program is expected to run again as an Early Fall Start opportunity in 2024. Please contact the Population Health Initiative if you are interested in learning more about this program.