Mumbai: In a boost to the quest for sustainable development in the country, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Amrita) has been awarded a UNESCO Chair for “Experiential Learning for Sustainable Innovation & Development.” Through this Chair, the university will develop a comprehensive framework for academic engagement to build sustainable communities by designing a curriculum based on experiential learning. This curriculum will enable the academic community to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to implement sustainable solutions among vulnerable and rural communities.
Amrita started Live-in-Labs in 2013 under the guidance of its Chancellor Mata Amritanandamayi to expose students to the difficulties faced by India’s rural communities. The idea is, if students are taken to live in such communities for a period of time, they will be inspired to better understand the villagers’ problems and work with them to innovate sustainable solutions. In collaboration with the Mata Amritanandamayi Math, Live-in-Labs works with 101 villages throughout India where it has implemented over 150 projects, benefitting more than two-lakh people. Over 400 international students from more than 40 international partner universities have participated in this program thus far.
