The field trip is open to UK University students who are studying on a full time or part time programme.  As the field trip focuses on health issues in India, it would suit students of health or related courses; however, if you are studying another course and have an interest in health you are more than welcome to join the programme.

Unfortunately, if you do not hold a British passport and/or are an international student you will not be eligible to take part due to student visa rules. In addition, as spaces are limited, friends and family members are not able to accompany you.

We ensure that you and other students travelling with you have opportunities to get to know each other before the trip, and we find that students quickly make friends. 

Since offering this field trip, just under 100 UK university students have taken part and all have indicated that they had a positive experience and would recommend it to their peers. The key issues students indicate they enjoy are:

• The balance between health and social and cultural issues
• Interacting with other UK students as well as students from India
• Understanding issues that they would not have been exposed to in the classroom
• The support provided by the Indian and UK academics that accompany them
• The warm welcome they receive from the institutions that we visit
• The ability to use this experience to help them in their career development

This two-week field trip will enable you to develop your understanding of health and health care in India and provide you with an opportunity to visit places of historical interest.

The academic health aspects of the course will be delivered by academics from the UK who will accompany you throughout the trip and staff from Think Education, India. You will also have an opportunity to meet with health care providers, and visit private and public hospitals, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to see health promotion/public health in practice, as well as meet Indian students.

There are no assessments to undertake and the academic content will take the form of discussions around what you have seen and experienced. There will be a closing ceremony where you will be asked to share your experiences with invited health officials, but this will be negotiated with you.  Upon completion of the field trip, you will be issued with a certificate of participation.

Participants of the programme have indicated that the field trip has enabled them to use the experiences in their studies as well as in job applications to help set their application apart from others. 

This field trip is being organised and delivered by Think Education (Delhi, India) with the support of Dr Ranjit Khutan, a senior academic working at a UK University*. Dr Khutan has assisted in the organisation and delivery of these field trips since we began them in 2015.

(*please note: this field trip is designed and delivered by Think Education and not in partnership with any university in the UK)

Think Education (Delhi, India) have delivered the field trip since 2015 – around 14-22 students have taken part in the field trip each year.

This field trip is being organised and delivered by Think Education (Delhi, India) with the support of Dr Ranjit Khutan, a senior academic working at a UK University*. Dr Khutan has assisted in the organisation and delivery of these field trips since we began them in 2015. 

(*please note: this field trip is designed and delivered by Think Education and not in partnership with any university in the UK)

We have places for up to 20 students. 

Throughout the 2-week field trip, you will be accompanied by 2 UK-based university academics as well as staff from Think Education.  

All fees must be paid in full prior to travelling.

There are two parts to the costs – Part A (the programme fee) and Part B (flights and Visas).

Part A will need to be paid to the organisers “Think Education”; and part B costs will need to be paid to the nominated travel agent, or a travel agent of your own choice.

You will need to ensure you buy adequate insurance that will cover your flight as well as the programme fee. 

(see FAQ item “What will I learn”)

In addition to learning about health, you will visit places of historic interest. The details will be confirmed in due course, but we aim to visit places in Delhi (Qutub Minar, Red Fort, Lotus Temple), Jaipur (Pink City, Amber Palace), and Agra (the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Guru Ka Tal). You will also learn some Hindi and have fun learning Indian yoga and meditation.

In summary, the fee will include:

• The course – examination of health issues and exploring solutions to these in India, visiting hospitals, meeting NGO workers and visiting other places of practice, introductory Hindi, Indian yoga and meditation.
• All organised excursions.
• Transfers to and from airports in India
• Accommodation in Delhi and when applicable, the sightseeing places specified above.
• Local land transportation and entrance fees to sightseeing places
• Most meals – Breakfast and dinner (all vegetarian – predominantly Indian food, but if you have any specific diets we can see if they can be catered for). Additional meals will have to be paid for, but they are very cheap and a meal can cost anything from a few pence to a few pounds.

Accommodation will be in a minimum of a 3* hotel. To keep costs low and for your own safety you will ideally share* a room with another student from the group (separate beds, and single-sex sharing only). All rooms will have ensuite facilities. 

(* If you do not wish to share, for an additional fee we can arrange single accommodation, but this dependent on availability) 

India is a relatively safe country, but as with any new country you may visit, you will need to take some precautions to keep yourself safe. To maintain your safety we will stay as a group; we will split into small groups when visiting places of historical and cultural significance (e.g. Taj Mahal) and in these areas you will be safe to wander and explore on your own. At all other times, a member of the organising team will be with you. For your own safety, we advise you not to venture out of the hotel without a staff member at any time.

The risks have been assessed and we will not engage in any risky activities. However, you are responsible for your own safety and must ensure that you look after yourself, and do not put yourself at risk by not following staff guidance. 

When you travel abroad you may be exposed to diseases you haven’t come across before. You will need to speak to your GP so they can assess what you need – the most common ones include:

• diphtheria,
• tetanus,
• polio
• typhoid, and
• hepatitis A.

With improvements in hygiene and conditions, antimalarial drugs are no longer necessary, and simple protective measures such as covering up early morning and late at night should ensure you are fine. Most vaccinations are free, but if you decide to take antimalarial drugs there will be a charge.

You will need to declare all health issues with the coordinators of the trip, including any issues that arise after booking and prior to travelling, and ensure that you take any medication you require with you.

You are required to purchase travel insurance to cover your time on the field trip – and declare all health issues to your insurer.  

To ensure you gain the most from this amazing experience, the programme is structured so there is not much free time for additional or separate visits.

For your own safety, we strongly suggest that you do not leave the hotel or a place we are visiting without a member of staff.