Welcome to one of the most challenging and exciting programs of your college career! At NIRMAN, in Varanasi, India, you will be exposed to dramatic opposites. You will wander through crooked lanes of the ancient city and experience History, Religion, and Art as living realities and at the same time, be impressed by the presence of modernity and globalisation. You will interact with artisans, boatmen, and rickshawallas, and make sense of it all through the guidance of your university professors.

NIRMAN aims at global exchange and producing a global citizen for the 21st century. Students are invited to explore aspects of India as part of a unified world, while going deep into the rootedness of Indian people, languages, and cultures.

NIRMAN’s philosophy is an ambitious non-dualistic one. It provides a context to merge high philosophy with popular culture, theory with practice, traditional arts with modern technologies, global contexts with small town individuals, and strict discipline with freedom. NIRMAN strives for one simple goal: an intellectual sophistication that is extraordinarily creative because it is truly humanitarian.

The college year/semester at NIRMAN is designed to give you insight into Indian civilization and modernity in an intense anthropological way. It is our job to keep you safe and comfortable while our excellent faculty guide you in these experiences.

The NIRMAN team looks forward to helping you meet the challenges of an exciting, stimulating semester!