NEW GCC PROGRAM BEGINS WITH 16-DAY STUDY ABROAD TRIP IN JULY AND AUGUST; INCLUDES ELEPHANT AND CAMEL RIDES, TAJ MAHAL STOP, CULTURAL & BUSINESS STUDY

Germanna student Kristeen Hadeed talks with Indian fashion designer Elisheba John of Magic Clothing Pvt. Ltd. about the business. John was part of an Indian delegation that visited GCC this week. ...


Germanna Community College has established a program that will involve cultural and business study in India as well as student exchange.

The India Study Abroad program launches this summer, with destination cities of Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Kumarakom and Chennai.

There will be three travel tracks--an India Study humanities class track, a Business/IT/Ayurvedic visit track and a general cultural interest track. Ayurvedic is a system of traditional medicine native to India.

Highlights of the 16-day, July 23-Aug. 8 tour will include the Taj Mahal, an elephant ride at Amber Fort in Jaipur, a cross-country Jeep safari ride, a camel ride in Samode, a house boat cruise in Kumarakom, Hindu Temples and other stops. The deadline for registration is May 15.

Last year, a small committee traveled to six Indian cities to investigate opportunities in information technology, history and culture.

Germanna is the first institution in the Virginia Community College System to establish a program in India.

Frances Lea, GCC associate professor of economics and marketing and a member of the committee, said that during an exploratory mission to India last year, “We were surprised by how open the Indian universities and chambers of commerce are and how wiling they were to work with us.”

“I am delighted that Germanna has approved its first Study Abroad Program to India,” said Sunithi Gnanadoss, a GCC faculty member who was part of the team that traveled to India on the exploratory mission. “This is a fruition of a vision, research, and much work. It is good for students to connect with the global world--connecting today with tomorrow's world is very important.”

This week a delegation of Indian business people visited Germanna and talked to students and faculty about opportunities and culture there.

GCC associate professor of English Gnanadoss, who is a native of India, said she hopes the relationship will help change the idea that American can only lose jobs to India through outsourcing. She sees the program as a step toward creating American jobs.

She sees opportunities instead: Student exchange could provide internships at information technology centers and jobs tutoring English.

GCC Director of Workforce and Community Education Martha O'Keefe, who also was part of the exploratory committee trip, agreed. "I think it will lead to just a better understanding of the business climate in India," she said.

Unlike study-abroad programs in Europe, where some customs are similar to American culture, India would immerse students in an entirely different environment, Gnanadoss said.

For more information, call 540/423-9857, e-mail sgnanadoss@germanna.edu or go to www.germanna.edu.