Himalayan Gateway: Meaning-Making & Purpose in Practice

This program situates meaning-making within Himalayan gateway communities, combining research debates in psychology and philosophy with experiential practice cycles. Students engage in reflective evidence capture, purpose labs, and structured inquiry sessions while maintaining critical engagement with evidence-based standards.

The design bridges contemplative traditions with modern well-being science, encouraging thoughtful synthesis rather than romanticization.

Students will:

Compare positive psychology frameworks with contemplative philosophical traditions.
Examine purpose formation as both a cognitive process and social experience.
Analyze how the environment shapes psychological states and reflective practice.
Practice structured reflective evidence capture and analytic documentation.
Ask: Is purpose discovered, constructed, or cultivated?
Develop a purpose-focused portfolio integrating research, practice, and field observation.

Philosophy

Religious Studies

Education

Human Development

Peace Studies

Anthropology

Public Health

Global Studies

Cognitive Science

Sociology

Delhi

Rishikesh Corridor

Community & Practice-Based Learning Sites

Day	Location	Academic Focus & Activities	Learning Emphasis
1	Delhi	Arrival; orientation; interdisciplinary well-being framing	Establishing inquiry norms
2–3	Delhi	Seminar: contemporary well-being debates; ethics and cultural humility	Building critical research foundation
4–10	Rishikesh Corridor	Practice-and-seminar cycles; purpose and meaning labs; daily reflective evidence capture	Translating lived experience into structured insight
11–12	Delhi	Synthesis studio; workbook completion	Connecting theory, practice, and evidence
13	Delhi	Departure	Closure