ASCL Himalayan Buddhist Lifeworlds Bhutan

There will be an information session on Wednesday October 21, 2026, 5:30 - 6:30 pm in Anonymous Hall Room 314, led by Greg Seton, the faculty member leading the Fall 2027 program.

Himalayan Buddhist Lifeworlds offers students the opportunity to be immersed in the world's only living Vajrayana Buddhist kingdom where spiritual practice infuses every aspect of daily life and remains a vital if complex aspect of nationalism, normative culture, and sociopolitical organization. The program will examine how Himalayan Buddhism—with its distinctive philosophical frameworks and ritual practices, its economic models of patronage and cultural models of expertise, and its philosophical frameworks including tantric orientations—manifests in everyday Bhutanese life, shapes governance and policy (from health and education to environment and development), influences cultural production including notions of heritage and identity, and adapts to contemporary challenges while upholding and rearticulating many traditional values. This program will also allow students to consider the stakes involved in framing many elements of national discourse and practice around Buddhism. We will consider the ways that such a framing is at once reinforced and challenged by other elements of contemporary Bhutanese life, from broader geopolitical dynamics (particularly Bhutan's position vis-à-vis India, China, and Nepal) and the pull for young Bhutanese people to leave their Himalayan kingdom for lives and opportunities elsewhere to the fact that Bhutan, as part of the Himalayan arc, is considered part of the "third pole" – a region that is experiencing outsized and drastic impacts of climate change.

Participants will be required to enroll in a course during the 10 week fall term that is a co-requisite to the 3 week Fall plus program. The fall course lays the foundation for students to understand both the cultural and philosophical underpinnings of Himalayan Buddhist societies, and to engage specifically with the country of Bhutan. The fall plus program course takes participants beyond textbooks into the heart of Bhutanese culture, where they'll not only witness firsthand how Buddhist wisdom traditions dating back to the 8th century are being adapted and applied to 21st-century challenges, but also how Buddhism operates at multiple levels: as a state religion, as an organizing philosophical principle of how socioeconomic development "should" happen, and as an embodied mindset about what it means to live a meaningful life. Over the course of approximately three weeks, students will engage intensively with Himalayan Buddhist lifeworlds, as they play out in a range of cultural institutions and environmental settings, from households to monasteries and beyond. Specifically, students will have an opportunity to engage with Buddhist philosophies and practices, as they are actively lived in contemporary Bhutan, by both lay and monastic people across different generations, bridging theoretical classroom knowledge with direct experiential learning.  

Through daily seminars, activities, field journals, guided reflections, and collaborative projects, students will critically analyze the way that religious principles manifest in personal practice, social institutions, entrepreneurship, and national policy—including Bhutan's internationally-recognized Gross National Happiness framework. This program offers students an unparalleled opportunity to move beyond abstract concepts to embodied understanding of a living Buddhist tradition and the complexities of Himalayan lifeworlds at a moment of vast sociocultural, ecological, and economic change in the country and the region as a whole. 

About 15 students are selected for this program. Selection will be competitive and will consider students' academic preparation, learning goals, and interest in the program's themes.

For more information about applying for this program, see our webpage on How to Apply & our FAQs under section 2 (How to Apply: Application)

Students will live in shared accommodation that could include student dormitories and hotels in Thimpu and on other overnight excursion locations.  Some excursions may include being at high altitudes and traveling via coach or bus.  

The program will include:

• Visits to monasteries, meditation centers, and sacred sites
• Conversations with Bhutanese scholars, artists, educators, and policymakers
• Exploration of Buddhism and everyday life
• Field experiences focused on environment, culture, and sustainability
• Visits to sites such as Taktsang (Tiger's Nest) and Punakha Dzong
• Opportunities for cultural immersion, including a possible rural homestay
• An introduction to Dzongkha language and Bhutanese cultural practices

We encourage students to engage with their SAS advisors and program faculty/staff during the exploratory, pre-application phase to discuss how disability-related accommodations and access needs can be supported in an off-campus environment. If you currently have approved accommodations at Hanover, SAS will review them to determine which can be provided at your off-campus location and what alternatives may be needed. On-campus and off-campus accommodations may differ depending on each program location's resources and accessibility features. We recommend beginning this discussion with SAS as soon as you are accepted and no later than at least one whole quarter before your program start date.

For next steps, review the Off-Campus Program Accommodations page on the SAS website. 

Budget sheet for this program to be released at a later date.

Please note that the tuition and fees you pay to the college for the fall term will include the Fall Term+ course associated with this off-campus program.  There will be additional room and board costs billed to your student account associated with the off-campus program.  These fees, in addition to any estimated out of pocket expenses will be eligible for financial aid for those students who qualify.

In order that all qualified Dartmouth undergraduate students may have the opportunity to take part in off-campus programs, the College endeavors to adjust its normal financial aid awards for students already receiving aid. Tuition and expected family contribution for Dartmouth's off-campus programs are the same as for an on-campus term.

All costs, including airfare and spending money, are considered when determining the cost of an off-campus program. Any costs more than a typical term in Hanover are met with additional Dartmouth Scholarship Funds.  If you have a work expectation for the term, this will be replaced by scholarship funding for programs that span the entire term. We do not replace work expectations for our Fall Term + programs as students are in Hanover for the 10 week term and remain eligible to work.

Students are responsible for purchasing their own plane tickets and, in many cases, meals. Often this means that part of the expected family contribution is used towards these costs rather than for tuition. For help sorting out who pays what and how-- a visit to the Financial Aid Office is often advisable.  For more information please also review the study abroad section of the financial aid website.

Financing your program | Financial Aid | Scholarships | Budgeting & Costs