Live-in-Labs®

CORE PHILOSOPHY

“When we try to love or serve without understanding those whom we are serving, we often end up harming society and ourselves. In order for service to be beneficial, it needs to go hand in hand with discernment. This is the essence of sustainable development. All universities should send their students to impoverished rural villages or city slums for at least one or two months during their education. Students will be able to see directly the issues and problems that the poor face. They could then develop solutions and write papers on everything they studied. This would help us to help the poor in the most effective way and also awaken compassion in today’s youth.”

- Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, Chancellor, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Our Chancellor

ABOUT

Applying academic theory to address development challenges and build sustainable communities in rural India!

Live-in-Labs® is a multidisciplinary experiential learning program that breaks classroom and lab barriers by applying learned theory in real-world settings. This credit-based academic program facilitates the research, development, and deployment of sustainable solutions for current challenges faced by rural communities in India. By directly living in rural communities (labs) and co-designing solutions to development challenges with community residents, program participants gain first-hand knowledge and know-how of identifying and assessing community needs and subsequently designing, developing, and implementing viable solutions through various participatory methods.

THEMATIC AREAS

Our 7 thematic areas are integral on the path to developing sustainable and self-reliant communities

JIVAMRITAM

Providing clean drinking water to over 5,000 villages in India

Launched by the President of India, Sri Ram Nath Kovind, on October 8^th 2017, the Jivamritam Purified Clean Drinking Water Initiative aims to install drinking water filtration systems in 5,000 villages and provide clean drinking water to over 10 million people throughout India. The Jivamritam project utilizes a community cost-sharing model for the operation and sustainable management of the systems.

Amrita faculty and students are currently working to deploy the Jivamritam water filtration systems through the Live-in-Labs® program. The project includes applied research in the geographical distribution of water contaminants, filtration techniques and processes, awareness programs, and community empowerment strategies.

Live-in-Labs® Promo Video

Water and Sanitation Work in Tamil Nadu. Lea Pascal (EPFL, Switzerland)

Amrita Water Distribution System: Sustainable Water Management in Rural India (Orissa)

Amrita Water Distribution System: Sustainable Water Management in Rural India (Rajasthan)

Amrita Alcohol Awareness Ambassador's Program with Harvard University

REACH & PRESENCE

From Jammu and Sikkim in the North to Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the South, to Rajasthan and Gujarat in the West to Jharkhand and Bihar in the East, the Live-in-Labs® program has implemented projects in our various thematic areas throughout India.

PARTICIPANTS

Is the Live-in-Labs® program for me? Am I eligible to apply? Do I need to have a particular academic background and skill set to participate? Find out if you are the right candidate for our program by clicking below.

Is the Program Right for Me?

APPLY

The Live-in-Labs® program welcomes undergraduate, graduate, PhD students, and post doctoral researchers to apply. Find out more about our application process by clicking below.

I Want To Be A Change Agent

LIVING @ AMRITA

We warmly welcome international students and researchers to our campuses and hope the experience will be both academically enriching and a personally fulfilling. Find out more about life at Amrita by clicking below.

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