Five Queen Elizabeth Scholars from Queen’s have completed their eight-week community-based climate resilience projects at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee in Uttarakhand, India.
Working alongside university supervisors, graduate students, NGOs, and local communities, students explored the challenges and opportunities facing rural communities and collaborated on solutions to support climate resilience and community development.
The QES program combined academic learning through DEVS 410 – Work Placement in Development Studies (6.0 credits) with hands-on research, community engagement, fieldwork, and leadership and entrepreneurship training through the Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre (DDQIC), where students earned career-enhancing micro-credentials.
The opportunity to connect directly with local communities was a defining part of the experience for Queen’s scholars. Through field visits, interviews with healthcare providers and community members, and engagement with local organizations, students gained firsthand insight into the social and cultural factors influencing health in rural communities. These experiences reinforced the importance of community-led approaches and helped scholars better understand how meaningful solutions are built through collaboration and local knowledge.
Beyond the academic and community-based learning, the experience also encouraged scholars to grow personally and professionally. Living and working in a new cultural environment challenged students to adapt to unfamiliar situations, navigate new perspectives, and take greater ownership of their learning.
Thank you to Supervisor, Prof. Bibhuti Ranjan Bhattacharjya, Department of Design (IIT), and Queen's University faculty member, Prof. Qingguo Li, Professor and Associate Head, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Smith Engineering for leadership and support.
Learn about QES Scholar's Experiences and Check Out their Projects
QES: $6.2 million in program funding from the prestigious QES program will support international collaborative projects at 22 Canadian universities and colleges. All projects will focus on the adaptation, response and resilience to a changing climate.
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