ABOUT HILLS FELLOWSHIP:

The HILLs (Himalayan Institute of Live Learnings) fellowship is an eleven-month fully immersive trans-disciplinary postgraduate programme, which brings young (at heart) individuals who are passionate about tackling the challenges faced by the Hindu Kush Himalayas and the other mountain ranges of the world. The selection for the fellowship is highly competitive with limited seats and the candidates are selected on the basis of their interest, solution-mindedness and the vision ("Big Idea") that they wish to work upon during their stay in the fellowship. HILLs fellowship is aimed at finding indigenous solutions to local problems through the pedagogy of experiential learning in the context of the mountains. It aims to expose the fellows to a diverse set of subjects and perspectives, delivered by some of the finest action academicians and practitioners from India and abroad. The aim is to empower the fellows in becoming social entrepreneurs and in achieving their "Big Idea". The fellows will learn-by-doing (experiential learning) things and majority of their learnings will come from live action labs (where they will learn by working alongside the local people in Ladakh). They will become well-rounded individuals who are able to think critically and systemically from multiple perspectives with a commitment to improving the quality of lives and livelihoods in the fragile Himalayan eco-system through sustainable social and entrepreneurial practices. HILLs fellowship is an intense and rigorous programme, which engages fellows in various multidisciplinary courses, working on the field with the local community and providing the opportunity to earn while learning. These are models that are unique to the HILLs fellowship and the pedagogy will require the students to contribute to the running of the courses as well as building of several aspects of the Institute during their fellowship programme, which will develop their governance, leadership and collaborative skills.

ACADEMICS:

The HILLs fellowship consists of the following aspects:

• 30% classroom lectures. 70% of the learning would be on the field or through experiential/ live learning sessions where the fellows will learn by working alongside the faculty members on real-life problems and come up with real-life solutions
• To pursue their "Big Idea" as part of their Experiential Learning Project (ELP) and launch their own enterprise at the end of the program.
• Interaction with leading faculty members who are experts in their respective fields. Guest sessions and seminars in various fields from leaders and faculty from across the globe
• Workshops to develop their writing, communication and critical thinking skills.

The 11-month programme is delivered across 4 terms. The first term would be of 6 weeks, the second, third and fourth of 12 weeks each. The fourth term would be the "Experiential Learning Project (ELP)" where the fellows will finalise their project or the "Big Idea" that they have been working on for the entire year. This will comprise an 8-week long internship in December and January and a 4-week long ELP break during the winters designated exclusively for ELP work.

3 courses (Ecology, Entrepreneurship, Tourism/ Responsive Buildings) will be taught throughout the year. The plenary courses of Ecology and Entrepreneurship will have 120 and 150 hours respectively, and the electives of Tourism and Architecture will have 720 hours of learning time each. Experiential Learning Project (ELP) starts in Term 2 and continues alongside the regular courses for the remaining terms.

RESIDENTIAL LIFE:

• HILLs is a fully residential programme and all fellows are required to stay in and work out of the farmstays.
• HILLs fellows will be sharing rooms with their co-fellows.
• Fellows must ensure to accord due care to their farmstay hosts and not to engage in any unruly behaviour, loud music or any such conduct that hampers the well-being of their host families.
• HILLs strictly prohibits the manufacture, distribution, sale, possession or use of any drugs/alcohol on campus. Smoking and drinking are strictly prohibited within the farmstay premises. Violators of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action that may lead to dismissal from the programme.
• Fellows should display impeccable civic sense and behave in a manner that does not disturb or cause any distress to other fellows or other neighbours.
• Fellows will be personally responsible for the maintenance of their rooms, furniture, bathrooms and other farmstay property in their use. They should keep their valuables in a safe place. The farmstay management does not take responsibility for the personal belongings of fellows.
• All health related issues should be reported immediately to the student coordinators.
• Personal pets are not permitted at the farmstays.
• Any indiscipline and misconduct on the part of the fellows should be reported to the programme team by the student coordinators immediately for necessary action and disciplinary measures.

CODE OF CONDUCT:

1. Anti-discrimination: HILLs programme does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, caste, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age or disability. If fellows have any complaints regarding discrimination, they must report them to the programme team immediately.
2. Sexual Harassment and Violence: HILLs is committed to providing a safe environment for all the members of the programme, along with their visitors, and has strict policies on sexual harassment and violence on its premises. Sexual harassment includes any verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is directed towards an individual against their will or consent. Consent cannot be assumed if the individual is deemed unable to make a reasonable judgment about the nature of the activity (i.e., they are intoxicated, on medication or of unsound mind). Violence is any physical conduct that threatens the physical, emotional and mental safety and health of an individual. Please report all complaints in this regard directly to the programme team and the student coordinators.

   The Institute will provide all necessary support to victims of sexual harassment and violence. The programme team will conduct a thorough investigation and submit its recommendations back to the Dean's office for appropriate action. The Dean will ensure that the programme team's recommendations are adhered to and violators will face appropriate disciplinary action. Sexual harassment and violence are grounds for immediate dismissal from the HILLs fellowship. The Institute will keep all findings and the investigations confidential.

3. Anti-ragging Policy: Ragging is considered a grave offence and in conformity with the directives of the Honourable Supreme Court of India, the Institute exercises zero tolerance for all instances of ragging. If found guilty of the offence, the fellow will be dismissed from the programme immediately. Fellows must also ensure to immediately report instances of ragging if they come across any. Forcing someone to behave/act in any manner without their consent is considered ragging and any student feeling discomfort in these situations should register a complaint. Strict confidentiality will be maintained in case of any such complaints. If fellows wish to express a grievance about any fellow, faculty member or staff member, they may discuss the grievance with the programme team and their respective mentors.
4. HILLs Honour Code: HILLs is committed to creating responsible and ethical individuals. In keeping with this ideology, all fellows are expected to share the responsibility of maintaining the highest standards of honesty and integrity during the programme. The HILLs Honour Code has been established to ensure that this culture is retained. To create such an atmosphere, the programme expects fellows to:
   • Practise academic integrity at all times
   • Avoid possession of articles that may be deemed harmful to others or themselves
   • Respect all farmstay and Institute property and facilities
   • Provide accurate information on their personal background during the admissions process
   • Act in a lawful manner
   • Refrain from offences such as cheating, plagiarism, and giving or receiving unauthorised aid

GUIDELINES FOR JOINING AND LEAVING:

• Entry Formalities: When fellows arrive, they will be asked to designate a contact name and number in case of an emergency such as critical health situation, financial payment default or expulsion. In other personal cases (such as basic health problems, sexual harassment and general academic issues), the member of the programme team will contact the designated person with the fellow's consent.
• In all electronic communication, fellows must incorporate the following signature:
  • Name
  • HILLs Fellow, Class of 2024
  • Himalayan Institute of Live Learnings, Phyang, Ladakh – 194101
  • (Personal mobile phone number)
• The fellows must take approval from the programme team for distribution of all banners, advertisements, publications, HILLs merchandise and other HILLs' materials. Appropriate action will be taken against violators of these policies.
• All material submitted by fellows for admission to the HILLs becomes the property of the Institute and will be preserved over the duration of the programme.
• Fellows are entitled to request and review information regarding their academic transcripts and admission files. This does not include confidential information disclosed in their admissions file, such as letters of recommendation or interview comments.
• No individual outside the Institute academic committee and select faculty/ staff members may view the fellows' files without their consent. They must give a signed consent to the programme team, who will then take the final decision on releasing the fellows' files.
• The programme administration may disclose basic personal information without a fellow's consent as long as it is for education related use; for example, name, address (permanent home), e-mail, phone number, other institutes attended, age, gender, activities involved in while at the HILLs, year of graduation, specialisation at the HILLs, or company name and position. Education-related use could include directories, alumni mailing or aggregated demographic information, and must be approved by the Dean.
• The programme will not allow any unauthorised party to review fellows' records. These include financial information, admission information, staff and faculty reviews, and governing board documents.
• Exit Formalities: Before departing from the HILLs, all fellows are required to complete a set of procedures, including the return of library books, settling debit notes, completing exit surveys, payment of medical bills, etc. Details of these procedures will be shared with fellows closer to the date of departure.
• Fellows will not be handed their Graduation Certificates/ Transcripts unless all exit clearance formalities have been completed.

IMPORTANT CONTACTS:

• Dechen Spalzes
• Academics Coordinator
• [email protected]
• 7051992140
• General query: [email protected]