FLOATING UNIVERSITY - SEMESTER
AT SEA (1979 � 1982)
Apart from
Mrs. Shivamoni Nathan, Mr. T S Chandra of Travel Corporation of India (TCI)
promoted the Dhananjayans. It was Chandra who introduced them to
the Floating University - Semester-at-Sea program in 1979 when the group
first came to India as a port of call and visited Bharata Kalanjali to
see a lec/dem.
For one semester
of 100 days, the Floating University teaches as it travels on the high
seas, stopping over at different ports of call to allow the students and
staff to get acquainted with cultures in different parts of the world.
At the end of the journey, they put their information together and make
a thesis. Earlier, the program was affiliated to Colorado University, now
it has been shifted to Pittsburgh University.
The Dhananjayans
have served four times as honorary members of the faculty for The Institute
for Shipboard Education�s Semester-at-Sea Program which takes the students
around the world each year on 2 semester long voyages on which they earn
credits from the University. The Dhananjayans have joined the �floating
classroom� in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Honolulu and Singapore on the 4 different
assignments. They performed and taught everything from culture to history
of India. A video documentary of their Bharatanaatyam and other demonstrations
made by the Ship Board Education Scheme of Colorado University was used
as a reference for Indian studies at the university. It is still in their
archives.
�It was a very rewarding experience
for us. Not only did we get to travel a lot, we also had the opportunity
to meet many great people. We met many scientists and professors with whom
we were able to exchange dialogues. It gave us great pleasure to propagate
the very essence of true Indian culture to an international gathering and
dispel many mistaken notions about India. Many of the students and people
we interacted with still remember us and come for our programs.�
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