Building a Better World
EMPOWERING CHANGEMAKERS, EDUCATORS & LEADERS
An Immersive One-year Residential Course
OverviewDates: TBA (tentatively projected for 4th March 2024 until 15th March 2025 (subject to change), with option to stay longer
Duration: This course is structured around cycles of approximately one year each, which is the minimum period for a well-rounded experience and completion of the whole course syllabus. For those who wish to gain further experience and deepen learning, it is possible to stay longer than the one-year minimum. And in certain cases it may be possible to participate for a shorter period as well, so applicants are encouraged to contact us with any questions or concerns about duration.
Location: Dharmalaya Institute, Bir, India
Course type: Immersive residential
Modular structure: Four intensive workshop-retreats, with practicums and breaks in between
Cost: Sliding scale (see below for details)
Prerequisites: None for the first module. It is likely that there will be be prerequisites for later modules (such as completion of prior modules).
Course synopsis
‘Building a Better World’ is a long-term residential training course specifically for caring people like you who want to make a positive impact in the world. This course is designed to empower you as an insightful, sensitive, and effective agent of change.
Each of us has our own unique contributions to make to this world, and if you’re reading this right now it is because you want to make a difference. But how can we make the best contributions we can make? Where do we focus, and how do we improve? How do we meet the challenges of working with others effectively? How do we communicate successfully? How do we reach people? How do we inspire others to action? How do we make it work financially? How do we take care of ourselves along the way? And how do we do our work as sustainably as possible?
This course will address all of these essential questions and more, supporting you to make greater beneficial impacts while also evolving as a caring human and a compassionate global citizen.
What’s more, you will have opportunities to apply the skills and sensitivities you’ll be developing in the course in the real-world context of the work of Dharmalaya Institute itself. And, in that process, you will have the opportunity to be a part of the team that will shape the future of the Institute — a rare and precious opportunity to make a major impact.
This is a contemplative and embodied course that seeks to engage the whole of us in the exploration of responsible local and global citizenship and the arts of sensitive and effective changemaking.
Who is this course for?
Anyone with a caring heart and a passion to do some good in the world, who aspires to empower yourself to make the best possible impacts in the best possible ways. Whether your passion is expressed in the fields of education, sustainability, the arts and creativity, nonprofit NGO work, social activism or altruistic entrepreneurship, this course is designed for you. For those who already have significant experience, this course will serve as an integrated personal and professional development programme to refine your skills and sensitivities and enhance your effectiveness. And for those who are either looking for a career change or just beginning to find your paths in this world, this course will meet you where you are and help you find fruitful and satisfying ways to focus your energy and gifts.
Empower yourself to transform your world
Our world is changing quickly, in ways both helpful and harmful. We can’t fix everything, but we can’t keep breaking it either. Each of us can make a difference with informed compassion, reducing our harm footprint and optimizing our help footprint, and cultivating nurturing relationships in our communities.
How can we make the best possible impact with our lives? Whatever that may be for each of us, it starts by developing ourselves as sensitive humans, educating ourselves as responsible global citizens, empowering ourselves as effective change agents, and connecting with one another in creative collaborations for the greater good. And with that foundation, it continues with developing more of our natural capacities for sensitivity and creativity, and cultivating the skillful means to put compassion into action with greater effectiveness.
This course is designed to support you to gain insight and experience that will empower you to make your most helpful contributions to the world while also enhancing your own well-being.
The Syllabus
The Building a Better World course integrates theory and practice, and supports participants to do the same through a diverse array of training exercises and real-world projects supported by a multidisciplinary syllabus of complementary studies to add depth, detail, dimension to the ideas and practices we’ll be exploring.
Five ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE, COMPASSIONATE CHANGE-MAKINGThis course will explore five essential elements that support us to make our best positive impacts in the world:
Balanced sensitivity: Opening the heart and mind with understanding and empathy for the experience of all beings (including oneself)
Informed compassion: Discerning awareness of individual, local, regional, and global issues and their impacts — including the increasingly important skill of how to discern what’s really going on in a time when there’s so much misinformation
Skillful means: The practical wisdom of engaging effectively, the capacity to get results efficiently and elegantly — including communication skills, negotiation and conflict resolution, and moving from vision to reality
Sustainable thriving: Cultivating shared prosperity while preserving ecological balance, nurturing human flourishing in ways that support all other life on earth to flourish, too
Responsible global citizenship: All of the above elements come together to empower us to do our part, to heed the call of our times and circumstances and respond with insightfully conceived and effectively executed action to relieve suffering, bring meaningful change, and inspire others to do the same In other words, putting informed compassion into action: making our best efforts to understand local and global issues, to act with sensitivity about them, and to change ourselves and our world for the better.
A key concept for this course: ‘Responsible Global Citizenship’Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life.
— H.H. the Dalai Lama
In this age of globalization and increasing interconnectedness, our lives impact each other’s — for better or for worse. Through learning, connection, and service, we can make the best possible impact on our world. Through informed, compassionate choices and actions, we can minimize our harm footprint and maximize the benefit we create for ourselves, for others, and for the planet.
To live without a sense of global responsibility is to turn away from the suffering of others and to waste many precious gifts we could give to the world and receive from it.
To live with a sense of global responsibility is to seek to understand and embrace the world as it is while working diligently and joyfully to make it better.
For a deeper look at Responsible Global Citizenship, see this article from the Earthville Network.
CORE CURRICULUM: what will we be learning?This course will provide an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to personal and professional development combining theory and practice, soft skills and hands-on work, for both inner and outer evolution.
AREAS OF LEARNING & PRACTICE
Social issues and ways to work with them: A Himalayan village is a fertile setting for intersectional exploration of social issues including caste, gender, socioeconomic factors, and more. In the process, you'll gain insight into the lives of rural Himalayan villagers, including both their wisdom and their struggles, and insight into yourself as well.
Sustainability solutions: Explore the vast and deep concepts of permaculture, organics, voluntary simplicity, and more.
Contemplative approaches to the creative process: We will explore the creative process from a contemplative perspective — meaning how do we tune into the most sensitive, receptive, and creative parts of ourselves and use the creative process to deepen our intimate relationship with nature, with ourselves, and with one another.
Community, communication and collaboration: Living in community is a great opportunity to learn about ourselves and others, and to refine our skills for living, learning, and working together in harmony. (These skills bring benefit for a lifetime!) Practice deep listening, and other aspects of healthy, clear, respectful and productive communication. Be a harmonizing force, helping others interact smoothly and fruitfully. Explore possibilities for better teamwork.
Presentation: Gain experience and skill with public speaking and presenting information in ways that are clear, engaging and impactful.
Facilitation: Gain experience and skill with facilitating group processes such as discussions, sharing circles, learning exercises, and more, including the art of keeping participants engaged and supporting them to make discoveries.
Experiential education: Gain experience and skill with supporting others to learn by doing and reflecting. A good experiential educator doesn’t ‘teach’ as much as set the stage and provide skillful cues and nudges when needed to keep the learners engaged in their learning. Dharmalaya is a great place to learn and practice this approach and gain helpful feedback.
Project management: Each participant will have opportunities to manage several real-world projects on Dharmalaya Institute’s campus, and to receive support, guidance, and feedback to foster the development of greater skill, sensitivity, and effectiveness in this role. Likely possibilities for project-management opportunities include:
Administration: Co-managing various processes to keep the Institute running smoothly
Responsible consumption and waste management: Co-managing the design and implementation of solutions to help the Institute move ever closer to its zero-waste goal, which might include composting solutions, upcycling of waste, better sourcing to reduce waste, creative DIY solutions, etc.
Organic gardens: Co-managing the design and implementation processes for beautiful and thriving gardens utilising various traditional and innovative techniques to create healthy soils for high-yield food-growing.
Permaculture landscaping: Co-managing the design and implementation of campus developments integrating the built environment, the cultivated environment, and the natural environment.
Natural building: Co-managing non-technical aspects of eco-friendly construction and interior design projects, including reviewing plans for efficiency, finding the best sources for materials, etc.
Maintenance and repairs: Co-managing various processes to keep the Institute’s facilities and infrastructure in good condition.
Other projects that may arise from time to time.
Workshop facilitation: All of the above will come together in at least one opportunity to co-design and co-lead a workshop at Dharmalaya Institute, with the support the Institute’s faculty and staff at every stage. A precious opportunity!
SKILLS & CAPACITIES TO BE DEVELOPED
Collaboration skills: Be a better team player, engaging with others more effectively in harmonious cooperation toward common goals; facilitating smooth and productive collaborations, cultivating positive team spirit, etc.
Management and leadership skills: Practicing a human approach to working in concert with other humans, leading by example and inspiring others to bring their best selves to do their best work.
Systems thinking: Seeing everything (including a project, an object, and ourselves and others) not as isolated ‘things’ but rather as systems within larger systems, all inextricably interdependent, and learning to approach design and problem-solving with that systems view.
Design thinking: A holistic way of seeing, understanding, contemplating, problem-solving, and creating, which considers design challenges from many angles and seeks solutions that work well in all respects.
Attention to detail: Focusing on quality of work with mindful presence, noticing the small things, and working joyfully to do work with a level of quality that pleases both oneself and those who will have the opportunity to enjoy the final product.
embodiment — THE 'SOFT SKILLS' OF holistic personal & professional developmentAs many wise people have observed, to be effective and authentic as changemakers, educators, or leaders with values and ethics, we must ‘be the change’ and ‘walk the talk’ — the transformation of the world begins with the transformation of ourselves.
AREAS OF LEARNING & PRACTICE
Compassionate living: The practice of compassionate living touches all aspects of life: food, shelter, health, work, relationships, and more. We’ll make a holistic study of all of these areas and explore ways we can empower ourselves to minimize our harm footprints and optimize our help footprints.
Sustainable thriving: Growing and evolving as a compassionate and responsible local and global citizen; decreasing our harm footprint while optimizing our help footprint; living a deeply satisfying life while supporting others do the same.
Holistic health and well-being: Enjoy the benefits of a healthy and balanced lifestyle with daily yoga and meditation, wholesome plant-based meals (including learning to cook them!), and a nourishing rhythm of work, reflection, and rest.
Journaling: Maintaining a practice of regular reflection, and capturing our significant experiences and insights in writing, which is a major aid to learning and growth.
Group sharing: Practicing sharing our personal experiences with a group of trusted kindred spirits in a safe and mutually respectful environment. We share honestly and vulnerably, and hold space for others to feel safe to do the same.
Movement practice: Exploring the wisdom of the body through yoga and other conscious movement practices (e.g. instruction in the Taoist practices of chi kung may also be available for those with interest).
Stillness practice: Discovering our natural capacities for well-being and nuanced sensitivity through meditation and mindfulness practices, gaining direct experience of the positive impacts of meditation on both mind and body.
Finding balance: Cultivating a deeper, more personal, and more authentic experience of harmony and balance in our life and work through embracing a healthy and balanced lifestyle (including physical activity and proper rest, as well as healthy food).
Connection: Enhancing our innate awareness of the connectedness of all living things and applying it in our harmonious collaboration with our fellow participants and the Dharmalaya community, and thereby deepening our embodied understanding of the connectedness of all the elements of our programmes and facilities.
Insight: Contemplating the whys — the Big Questions of being human and finding purpose in life. These philosophical and meditative explorations will draw on traditional wisdom, including time-honoured texts and practices.
SKILLS & CAPACITIES TO BE DEVELOPED
Conscious communication skills: Learning to communicate with greater sensitivity and effectiveness — understanding others better and learning to make ourselves better understood through mindful, clear, caring communication.
Keen observation: Cultivating an attentive presence that notices more than we ever have before, with greater openness, sensitivity and empathy. We develop our capacities for seeing, deep listening, and reflection.
Contemplative practice: Cultivating a daily meditation and movement practice, which helps to reduce stress, enhance functioning, inspire creativity, and improve the quality of our work and our connections with others.
Self-awareness: Seeing ourselves clearly, consciously acknowledging our gifts and our challenges, our strengths and weaknesses
Authenticity and integrity: Being real, honest, transparent, and true to our values and aspirations.
Responsibility: Being ever more conscientious about doing our part (and a little more) with joyful diligence, and becoming ever more reliable, accountable, and dependably mature.
Humility: Practicing courageous honesty about our own limitations and vigilance to guard against our own potential for arrogance or narcissism, while working to heal the wounds within us that give rise to false pride so that the virtue of humbleness can shine genuinely.
Balanced sensitivity: Developing healthy and balanced empathy, compassion, and the essential skills of deep listening and patient and nuanced observation — in relation so self, others, our work, and the world.
Creative process: Moving from vision to manifestation through effective, harmonious action.
Spaciousness: Tapping into our natural ability to feel peace, joy, and breathing room in any situation, and helping others enjoy the same experience.
Programme Structure & Schedule
MODULAR COURSE STRUCTUREThe structure of this course is comprised of four modules, with each module being approximately three months in duration. Each of these four modules, in turn, is comprised of a two-week intensive workshop-retreat followed by an extended practicum period of approximately two months. There are short gaps in between each module to allow time for individual projects, reflection, and rest. The first and third gaps are one week each, while the gap in the middle of the year-long programme (in August) is extended to three weeks to accommodate making short visits home in case anyone needs to do so.
The intensive workshop-retreats will integrate theory and practice with a limited amount of real-world work. The practicums will focus primarily on learning through relevant work activities while working within the frameworks established in the intensives. This breathing rhythm, alternating between a somewhat more theory-focused intensive and a somewhat more action-focused practicum, is a proven system designed to support deeper integration of learning and to build knowledge and skill in a stepwise fashion with time to integrate each step.
The final week of the programme (‘Completion Week’) is one of the most important, as it will provide opportunities for reviewing the entire course, mining reflections and drawing connections, and a comprehensive experience evaluation process where much of the learning comes into focus. For departing participants, we will also give some attention to making the most of the transition from this experience to whatever may come next.
COURSE CALENDAR (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)Orientation retreat weeks
This first two weeks of the programme will consist of a structured orientation period introducing the Dharmalaya experience and the core values and practices of the Institute.
Module 1: Fundamental Ideas & Practices
Intensive workshop-retreat 1: TBA
Practicum period 1: TBA
Gap 1: TBA (one week)
Module 2: Exploration & Application, Part 1
Intensive workshop-retreat 2: TBA
Practicum period 2: TBA
Gap 2: TBA (three weeks)
Module 3: Exploration & Application, Part 2
Intensive workshop-retreat 3: TBA
Practicum period 3: TBA
Gap 3: TBA (one week)
Module 4: Project Culmination & Succession
Intensive workshop-retreat 4: TBA
Practicum period 4: TBA
Completion Weeks: Review, Reflection & Transition
Any course participants departing at the end of one year should plan to leave no earlier than the afternoon of the last day (TBA).
Schedules & datesStart and end dates
The programme will begin at 11:00am on Day 1. All newly arriving participants will be required to arrive sometime between 9:30am and 4:00pm on Day 1 itself (we will provide detailed timing, instructions, and travel tips after confirming your registration).
The one-year programme will conclude at 2:30pm on the last day. Participants who are leaving after the programme should plan to depart between 2:45pm and 3:00pm.
Participants who completely programme successfully may apply to remain longer (with fees at a 50% discount from the standard rate).
Daily schedule: What will the days be like?
Although the day-to-day schedule will vary a bit, the schedule for a typical day during this programme would more or less as follows:
6:00 Wake
6:30 Morning yoga and meditation (initially guided group practice, and thereafter individual practice)
8:00 BREAKFAST
9:00 Morning work session (or learning activity)
12:30 LUNCH
1:30 Afternoon work session (or learning activity)
5:00 Personal time
6:00 DINNER
7:00 Evening activity or personal time (various depending on situation)
9:30 Lights out, silent time until breakfast
Levels of ParticipationRecognizing the diversity of needs, interest levels, and time considerations, we are offering four different levels of participation, ranging from a single one-off workshop or module (subject to very limited availability) to full-time residential participation for a year or more.
One-year full-time: Course enrollment for one full one-year cycle is the recommended minimum for those who wish to put these concepts into practice. Each module (workshop+practicum) ends with review and evaluation and an individual meeting with faculty. Participants in the full-time one-year course receive extra time and attention.
One year plus: To deepen one’s knowledge and experience, it is ideal to participate in the course for more than one year. Those who stay longer than the one-year minimum will enjoy greater opportunities to be a part of shaping and delivering future programmes at Dharmalaya Institute. Also, those who complete at least 18 months in the programme (including six months of Management Team experience at the Institute) may qualify for certification (see details below).
Internship: Same as full-time course enrollment, with the additional benefit of more individualized professional training and experience (including team management, project management, leadership and communication skills, material procurement, etc.). This one-year course satisfies Dharmalaya Institute’s requirements for the Internship in Sustainable Project Development (ISPD).
CERTIFICationIt is very rare for Dharmalaya Institute to provide certification for its courses, because our philosophy is that certificates are meaningful only in cases of sustained study and practice that result in measurable learning and skill. In the case of this course, certification is well justified by the exceptional degree of both academic study and real-world work experience. Certification is available under these conditions:
Participate in the programme for eighteen months (all four modules, meaning the four workshops plus the full practicum periods in between, plus at least six months of Management Team experience at Dharmalaya Institute under the programme).
Complete all work and assignments satisfactorily.
Be able to demonstrate what one has learned, and to apply it.
Uphold the values of Dharmalaya Institute at all times and support the well-being of all members of the community.
Engage fully in periodic evaluation process and final ‘Completion Week’ activities.
For participants meeting the above criteria, a certificate will be issued jointly by Dharmalaya Institute and the Earthville Network.
What to expect
Two of the keys to happiness are: (1) to have realistic expectations to begin with; and (2) not to be too attached to those expectations, but rather to stay flexible as life unfolds. Both of these keys to happiness will be especially useful during this unusual period, when the pandemic often impacts life and work in unexpected ways. So, with that in mind, here are some of the things participants should expect (while remembering to keep a flexible attitude):
Full-time programme focus: This programme is called ‘immersive’ because the point is to be completely focused on the programme. While there will be some time for rest, reading/journaling, and personal reflection, there won’t be time for pursuing other activities unrelated to the programme. While you’re here, the expectation is that your full attention will be focused on the programme experience from start to finish.
Plenty of physical work: Most of the work to be done is physical, and some of it requires physical endurance, so it’s best to be prepared both physically and psychologically for a lot of hard work. One key to happiness here is to keep a very positive and enthusiastic attitude about the work, knowing that you’re making the world a better place in a small way, which makes it a joy.
Supportive routine: A daily rhythm of yoga asana practice, outdoor activities, discussions, and silent meditation time.
Natural simplicity: Rustic accommodations in natural earthen buildings or comfortable tents in a beautiful forest setting.
Yogic lifestyle: Clean and simple ashram-style lifestyle in which all our work is approached mindfully with a spirit of joyful service, and everyone contributes to the running of the place, including cleaning, washing dishes, etc.
Healthy food: Natural and mostly organic, purely vegetarian meals (100% plant-based, vegan). No junk food or packaged snacks, etc.
Digital detox: There will be no use of mobile phones or internet from 9-5 or during evening sessions so that everyone stays focused on the group tasks, and present with one another — and with our own experience. For those who are normally glued to your phones, it may take some adjustment at first but soon you’ll be amazed how much better you feel engaging with nature and good work with good people rather than the screen.
YOGA & MEDITATION The Dharmalaya schedule includes time for daily practice of yoga and meditation, which are proven to be supportive for health and well-being, and also conducive to learning and joy. During the first few weeks of the course yoga instruction will be provided by Daphne, and meditation instruction will be provided by Mark and Mai-Linh. This will support all participants to find practices that feel comfortable and helpful in the first few weeks of the programme. After the first few weeks, the focus will shift from instruction and group practice to maintaining a stable individual practice in a supportive group setting, with our faculty continuing to provide guidance in the form of periodic online check-ins. Instruction and guidance in other movement and meditation practices can be organized as well, depending on the needs and interests of the group.
Campus life and the experience of living in communityMost of our past long-term participants tell us that experience of being a part of the Dharmalaya community, living and working together, is one of the best parts of the experience for them. We emphasize a culture of kindness and cooperation rather than selfishness and competition, and it’s great to live with kindred spirits in that kind of environment.
But, to be sure, this is also one of the most challenging aspects of a residential programme, because when we live together closely with other people for a long time, eventually challenges come up. This is actually a really great and precious thing if one embraces these experiences with a humble and sincere attitude, looking honestly at ourselves, wanting to learn and grow (instead of just wanting to be ‘right’). Dharmalaya maintains an environment in which everyone is supported to learn and grow in this way, and this kind of learning truly changes lives for the better, because few lessons are more valuable than those that help us understand ourselves and others better and learn to relate with others more sensitively and skilfully.
So one thing to understand is that learning to be a healthy part of a healthy community is one of the most important aspects of all of our residential programmes — and of compassionate living more generally — so that kind of inner work and social evolution should be something that appeals to you strongly if you’re thinking of applying for this programme. We’ll be spending a lot of time talking about it and asking you to self-reflect, journal, and share with others about your experiences, which benefits everyone.
Evaluation & transitionLearning = experience + reflection. Learning from the experiences of this programme will come not only during the experiences themselves but also in reflecting on them afterward, with a bit more perspective. And some of the best learning will come from a final evaluation process in which each participant will take time to reflect on the whole yearlong programme and do some journaling to connect the dots through the entire experience and identify the most valuable and impactful insights and inspirations. Participants will then share their self-evaluations with the programme facilitators and receive the benefit of their observations as well.
Finally, the participants will have the opportunity to play a very valuable role in helping to welcome and integrate the next batch of participants, and give them a good head start on their learning by sharing from your own learning.
Faculty
Visiting faculty and special guests to be announced. Dharmalaya Institute’s local village staff and artisans will also play important roles in transmitting knowledge of sustainability-related traditions.
Note that for this course, our senior faculty members will be leading their respective aspects of the course through a combination of in-person and online sessions. During the periods when senior faculty members are not physically present on campus, programme sessions and activities will be facilitated by Dharmalaya Institute’s senior community members, with additional training provided by our local village staff. Throughout the course there will be regular engagement with the senior faculty, whether in-person or online.
Cost: Tuition fees, room & board
Recognizing that our participants come from diverse backgrounds, we are providing a sliding scale with three tiers, to make it possible for everyone to donate according to their means.
Total fees for the one-year minimum commitment for the course (including tuition, shared accommodation, three meals daily, and tea, but exclusive of transportation to and from Dharmalaya Institute) are as follows:
Standard rate: Rs 28,000 per month (with the option of a 5% full prepayment discount making Rs 319,200 total when prepaying for the full year*). For transparency: This standard rate is essentially a break-even rate, just enough to cover the Institute’s total average monthly costs in providing this learning opportunity.
Subsidized rate (for those who cannot afford the standard rate): Rs 21,000 per month (with the option of a 5% full prepayment discount making Rs 228,000 total when prepaying for the full year*). For transparency: This subsidized rate is approximately 25% below our break-even rate, which means it is not quite enough to cover the Institute’s costs in providing this learning opportunity, but generally that shortfall can be covered by participants who choose to pay the ‘Supporter rate’ below.
Supporter rate (for those who can afford to give more to help subsidize the participation of lower-income participants): Rs 35,000 per month (with the option of a 5% full prepayment discount making Rs 399,000 total when prepaying for the full year*). For transparency: This supporter rate is approximately 25% above the break-even rate, and 100% of that surplus will be used to support lower-income applicants to be able to participate at the subsidized rate. We thank you sincerely for your generosity in choosing this rate if you can.
We do not want cost to be a barrier to a sincere applicant’s participation, so if you have exceptional financial hardship and cannot afford even the lowest subsidized rate, you can contact us to let us know your situation and your needs, and we can discuss work-study discount options (subject to limited availability).
*Explanation of nonrefundability of prepayments: A participant’s prepaid deposit guarantees that participant’s place in the program (thereby blocking a space that otherwise could be given to another applicant) and allows the Institute to plan accordingly, including purchasing provisions and making other contractual arrangements in advance. Prepaid deposits are nonrefundable because the funds received before the program will be spent on such provisions and preparations well before the programme begins.
AFTER ONE YEAR: Those who stay beyond the one-year minimum commitment period will qualify to apply for work-study scholarships to cover 50-100% of the cost of your room and board, beginning in your thirteenth month, in exchange for taking on certain professional responsibilities at the Institute. In the case of those not applying for the work-study option, the rate from the thirteenth month onward would be the standard long-term volunteer rate of Rs 22,800 per month inclusive of meals and shared accommodation (rate current as of mid-2023 but subject to potential change in 2024 if required by inflation in food prices).
Application process
Participation in this course is by application and subject to acceptance. Due to space limitations and the need for distancing during the pandemic, we will be admitting only a small number of applicants with each batch. Therefore the application process will be even more selective than usual, to make sure we find the applicants who are truly best matched with the programme.
STEP 1 — APPLY: Submit the application form here on our website and wait for our reply. We evaluate applications in batches, so it may take a few weeks before your application is reviewed. We may email you to ask follow-up questions if necessary.
STEP 2 — INTERVIEW: If your application is selected for the shortlist, the next step will be for us to schedule a time to do an interview on a video call. During this interview, you’ll have the chance to ask whatever questions may be on your mind, and we’ll have a chance to get to know you a bit better. If necessary, there might be a second video interview for final candidates.
STEP 3 — ACCEPTANCE & DEPOSIT: If you are selected for the programme after your video interview, then at that time we will send you more detailed information about the programme and how to prepare for your time at Dharmalaya Institute. You will then have one week from the date of acceptance to make your nonrefundable deposit to hold your place in the programme. The minimum deposit is 50%, but it is also possible to prepay in full.
If you have any questions after reading all the material here on our website, feel free to contact us and we’ll be happy to address your questions.
We look forward to connecting with you!
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