About Hills Fellowship
The HILLs (Himalayan Institute of Live Learnings) Fellowship is an 11-month fully residential, trans-disciplinary program that aims to empower the youth from mountain communities, particularly from the Hindu Kush-Himalayan regions (i.e., Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, Bangladesh & China) with environmentally sustainable solutions relevant specifically to those living in mountainous communities.
The selection for the fellowship is highly competitive with limited seats and the candidates are selected on the basis of their interest, solution-mindedness and the vision (“Big Idea”) that they wish to work upon during their stay in the fellowship.
HILLs fellows will pick either Responsible Tourism or Sustainable Habitats as an area of specialisation.
Responsible Tourism
Learners will be instructed in the development of responsible and sustainable tourism. They will tackle the problems that arise from mass tourism, and receive guidance in bringing tourists to rural areas. Water conservation and ecological restoration solutions will be taught simultaneously in order for the learners to better tackle larger environmental problems.
We will execute Live Labs by setting up and managing a mountaineering institute, homestays, hotels, wellness retreats, and eco-friendly treks.” We will also organize cultural events and promote green transport. Upon completing this course, learners will be ready to start rural tourism projects in their own mountain regions.
Sustainable Habitats
Learners will become skilled in designing and building sustainable habitats for cold mountainous regions. Environmentally friendly and innovative sources of energy like solar power and geothermal heat pumps will play a crucial role in design and orientation. Earthquake safety, which has become an issue of great concern in mountain communities, will also be studied.
We will research techniques, materials, and designs to build passive solar heated spaces while promoting and working with locally and abundantly available eco-friendly material like clay and stone. Under the guidance of experts and architects, learners will apply their knowledge during Live Labs of the construction of the HIAL campus.