University of Puget Sound’s PacRim program partners with SIT India to launch spring 2026 semester abroad
April 7th, 2026 | Asia, Custom Programs, SIT Study Abroad
By Christie Jardine
The University of Puget Sound (UPS) has partnered with SIT for the first time to launch its spring 2026 Pacific Rim Study Abroad Program (PacRim program) in India. The program, which UPS has been running since 1970, sends a group of students to Asia every two years for a semester of experiential learning across several nations, where they engage with different systems of culture, economics, politics, religion, and philosophy.
The spring 2026 cohort of 14 students is led by Faculty Program Director Dr. Karl Fields, a professor of politics and government at UPS. The cohort started their semester with three weeks in India with SIT, exploring the country’s cultural, religious, and historical landscapes through programming in Chennai, Varanasi, Agra, and Delhi. The experience combined formal coursework with experiential learning activities, including a course called Buddhism: Foundations and Transformations, taught by PacRim Instructor Dr. Elisabeth Benard.
In Chennai, students celebrated Pongal, Tamil Nadu's harvest festival, with local families during a homestay experience, and visited historical sites, including the Dakshina Chitra Heritage Museum and Mahabalipuram, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The group's journey continued to Varanasi, where they explored the ghats along the Ganges River, witnessed the evening Ganga Aarti ceremony, and connected with Indian peers from Banaras Hindu University and Tibetan students from the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies. Students also visited multiple UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.
Dr. Abid Siraj, academic director for SIT India's Public Health, Gender, and Sexuality program, collaborated closely with UPS, Dr. Fields, and Dr. Benard to design and deliver the programming in India. The PacRim program promotes liberal education through substantive encounters with Asian life and culture, challenging students both in the classroom and through experiential contexts. Following their experience in India, the spring 2026 cohort will continue their studies in Japan, China, and Taiwan. You can follow the cohort’s journey on Instagram at @pugetsoundpacrim.
This collaboration was facilitated by Eowyn Greeno, director of international programs at UPS, who is a former SIT employee and graduate from SIT Graduate Institute's Global Master’s in International Education program. The Spring 2026 cohort is accompanied by Emily Herrington, international programs coordinator at UPS, who participated in an SIT professional engagement program in India in January 2025.
SIT’s Custom & Signature Programs team offers support for custom and faculty-led programs in 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. To learn more about how SIT can support your institution's custom programming initiatives, schedule a virtual meeting, email [email protected], or submit a Custom Program Interest Form. For more information on semester and summer study abroad programs in India, visit this page.