Geographies of Modernization: Environment, Development, and Transnationality in Thailand - Summer

June 28-July 23, 2026*

*All travel dates are tentative and subject to international travel restrictions.

Course Title: Geographies of Modernization: Environment, Development, and Transnationality in Thailand

Academic Director & Instructor: Michael Dwyer

Syllabus Description: This course is taught in the form of a 4-week study-abroad program, based in Chiang Mai, Thailand and hosted by the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute (ISDSI). The course draws on classroom instruction plus a mix of intensive day- and overnight field trips to rural Thailand (all in the greater Chiang Mai area) as well as a single field trip (near the end of the course) to Bangkok, Thailand’s capital city. The program’s mission is to teach students about the spatial, social and political dimensions of economic development using up-close, experiential examination of two pillars of state-territorial practice: electrification and land management. The course teaches about social, environmental and geopolitical dimensions of modernization by examining the human and physical landscapes that underlie (1) the provision of affordable and reliable rural electricity, a key dimension of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 2 and 7 (no poverty, no hunger, and clean and affordable energy access); and (2) the management of human settlement in rural resource-heavy landscapes, such as those inside and near national parks and large dams. The course uses immersive field visits to rural communities, state forests, electricity facilities, and urban centers of electricity distribution and consumption.

This program includes a series of immersive field visits to state forests, electricity facilities, and urban centers of electricity distribution and consumption in Chiang Mai, Mae Tha, and Bangkok. Excursions include visits to sites such as: 

• Patara Elephant Sanctuary 

• Doi Inthanon National Park 

• Bhumibol Dam 

Housing will consist of apartments, hotels, and short home stays.  

Summer 2025 Program Fee - $4050*

The program fee includes accommodation in Thailand, most meals, transportation to and from all excursion sites, required entry fees and other excursion costs, student travel insurance, and administrative fees.

*Program fee is subject to change due to unforeseeable circumstances.

IUB Tuition - 4 credit hours

The tuition cost for this program is based on IU Bloomington tuition. The amount of tuition will vary based on student resident status. See the Student Central website for more information on current tuition rates.

Additional Variable Costs

Variable costs are paid before and after you arrive in Thailand as you pay for roundtrip international airfare, some meals, snacks, personal expenses, and independent travel outside the program. See the program fee sheet for more details.

Note: The program fee and tuition will appear on your bursar bill and are paid directly to IU. See the program fee sheet for more details.

Scholarships

All admitted program participants are awarded an automatic HIEP Hutton Honors Study Abroad Scholarship of $1000 applied directly to the program fee. No separate application is required.

Additionally, applicants to Hutton Honors Study Abroad programs may be considered for additional merit and need-based scholarships. If finances will be a barrier to participating in your study abroad experience, we invite you to apply for these awards. Please submit your application no later than your program's final application deadline.

Note: Program participants are not eligible to apply for the HIEP Grant.

Please see the IU Education Abroad Office website for more information on other available scholarships and financial aid opportunities.

IU OVST Getting Started Handbook