Expanding Worldviews, One Summer at a Time
Written by Marlys Jeane, feature writer at The California Aggie
Bhutan is said to be the happiest country in the world. Beginning this summer, students at UC Davis will have the opportunity to experience this place for themselves through a four-week study abroad program entitled Bhutan: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems.
“There’s a concept called Gross National Happiness […which] instead of measuring success on gross national product by how much economically you’re producing, Gross National Happiness is looking at a whole series of pillars on happiness including environmental well-being, psychological well-being, all those kinds of things including economic, education, all these different things,” said Karen Beardsley, the instructor of the Bhutan program and director of professional programs for Global Affairs. “It’s called GNH and you hear it everywhere and it’s taken very seriously. The Bhutanese are very proud of GNH.”
The program, Bhutan: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems, is an abroad substitute for Landscape Architecture 150: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems, a four-unit course coupled with a 198 course for four units of pass/no pass credit.
About the Global Learning Hub at UC Davis
Through the Global Learning Hub, each and every UC Davis student can find global learning opportunities available on campus, in the region, and across all seven continents. The hub’s network of local and global academic, experiential, and leadership programs helps develop capacity for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students to engage with global issues and make a difference in the world as the next generation of global problem solvers. Search all global learning opportunities available at UC Davis.
As a part of Global Affairs, the Global Learning Hub aims to inspire global curiosity, understanding, and engagement.