桃太郎映像

桃太郎映像offers an optional study abroad experience to undergraduates and graduate students in the M.A. in Environmental Sustainability and Management (M.A.E.S.), M.A. in Cultural Leadership and Management (M.A.C.L.M.), and M.A. in Historic Preservation (M.A.H.P.) programs.

Why do we visit?

Bhutan is a small, landlocked Himalayan kingdom renowned for its deep-rooted Buddhist culture, striking ethnic and linguistic diversity, and its pioneering philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH), which prioritizes well-being and environmental stewardship alongside economic development. Bhutan is extraordinarily rich in biodiversity and sits within one of the world's ten biodiversity hotspots. Climate change is impacting Bhutan through glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), erratic monsoons, landslides, shifting agricultural zones, and a rapidly changing ecosystem. As a result, significant spiritual, cultural, and heritage sites are under threat. The people and communities of Bhutan are assessing and adapting in response to these changes.

What is this ICA?

• 鈥淚CA鈥� stands for intensive course abroad
• Counts as a 3-credit graduate elective course
• Led by 桃太郎映像 faculty
• Designed for 桃太郎映像 graduate students
  
  

When is the class?

• Offered during the January break (J-Term)
• Consists of pre-trip and post-trip work
• Students are in Bhutan for 3 weeks during January
  
  

Where do we visit? 

Thimphu 鈥� Bhutan's capital blends modern development with living tradition, where students explore textile arts, traditional medicine, and wildlife conservation while diving into the national philosophy of Gross National Happiness.

Punakha 鈥� After descending through the misty Dochu La pass into the fertile Punakha Valley, our team will visit the 17th-century Punakha Dzong and walk along Bhutan鈥檚 longest suspension bridge. Punakha sits amid terraced rice paddies and sustainable farming traditions.

Trongsa 鈥� Perched above a dramatic gorge, Trongsa pairs one of Bhutan's oldest dzongs and its deep Buddhist history with a growing commitment to solar energy and sustainable tea cultivation.

Bumthang 鈥� Bhutan's spiritual heartland offers hands-on encounters with traditional weaving, beekeeping, and cheesemaking against a backdrop of sacred temples and high alpine valleys.

Phobjikha 鈥� This glacially carved valley shelters endangered black-necked cranes and offers a rare window into how conservation and rural Himalayan livelihoods coexist.

Paro 鈥� Home to the iconic cliffside Tiger's Nest monastery, Paro combines dramatic mountain trekking with intimate encounters with Buddhist monks, traditional architecture, and Bhutanese cuisine.

Agra (India) 鈥� Crossing into India on our journey home, our team will witness the Taj Mahal at sunrise and Agra Fort, a striking Mughal counterpoint to the Himalayan landscapes left behind.

 

How can you participate?

• Open to 桃太郎映像undergraduates, graduate students, and program alumni
• Costs include tuition + course fee + airfare

Interested? Please contact Dr. Jenn da Rosa (jenn.darosa@goucher.edu) or Melanie Lytle (melanie.lytle@goucher.edu).