Integrating Inclusion in Urban WASH Curriculum

Faculty Participation in International Academic Convening.

Particulars	Details
Name of Participant	Prof. Niraj Naik
Designation	Professor
Institution	MITRAJ Sarvajanik Institute of Design, Planning & Technology (MS IDPT)
Nature of Participation	Academic Convening / Curriculum Development Workshop
Mode of Participation	Offline

Organizing Institution and Coordinating Agency

The convening was coordinated by CREA India in collaboration with the Global Sanitation Graduate School (GSGS) network and its India Regional Hub. The event brought together academic institutions, practitioners, researchers, and subject matter experts working in the domains of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), inclusion, urban planning, governance, and interdisciplinary education.
The Global Sanitation Graduate School (GSGS) is an international academic and practitioner network focusing on sanitation and WASH education, interdisciplinary collaboration, inclusive learning approaches, and practice oriented pedagogy.


About the Event
The two day convening titled “Integrating Inclusion in Urban WASH Curriculum” aimed to critically examine the existing gaps within WASH education and explore methods for integrating inclusion, equity, accessibility, gender sensitivity, and justice oriented perspectives into academic curricula.
The concept note highlighted that Urban WASH education in India has expanded significantly in recent years, but continues to remain largely technocratic and infrastructure focused, with limited engagement with questions of equity, dignity, exclusion, accessibility, and lived experiences.
The convening therefore created a collaborative academic platform for institutions and practitioners to collectively discuss inclusive curriculum development, interdisciplinary pedagogy, and socially responsive teaching practices.

Objectives of the Convening

The key objectives of the convening included:

Reflecting on how inclusion is currently integrated within WASH curricula

Sharing practical examples of inclusive teaching and learning approaches

Discussing frameworks for assessing inclusion within WASH education

 Exploring interdisciplinary and cross institutional collaboration

Encouraging lived experience based and case study based pedagogy

The workshop structure encouraged interdisciplinary dialogue, collaborative learning, curriculum reflection, practical pedagogy, and institutional action planning.

Key Learnings and Academic Outcomes

Inclusive Perspective in WASH Education

The event emphasized that inclusion within WASH education must extend beyond physical infrastructure and incorporate broader dimensions such as gender, caste, disability, age, occupation, sexuality, dignity, rights, and social justice.

Importance of Interdisciplinary Curriculum Design

Discussions highlighted the importance of integrating planning, governance, architecture, public health, social sciences, and community engagement into technical and infrastructure oriented education frameworks.

Curriculum Innovation and Gap Mapping

Participants critically examined existing curricula and identified gaps related to equity, accessibility, inclusion, and socially responsive planning approaches.

Practice Oriented Learning

The convening encouraged field based learning, case studies, practitioner interaction, community perspectives, and lived experience based pedagogy for developing more inclusive professional education.

Institutional Collaboration

The event facilitated academic networking and collaborative engagement among universities, institutes, practitioners, and WASH professionals from across India and neighbouring academic networks.

Relevance to MITRAJ Sarvajanik Institute of Design, Planning & Technology (MS IDPT)

Participation in the convening is highly relevant to the academic and pedagogical objectives of MS IDPT, particularly within the domains of:

Architecture

Urban and Regional Planning

Environmental Design

Urban Governance

Community Development

Inclusive and Sustainable Design Education

The learnings from the convening can contribute towards:

 Integrating inclusion and equity perspectives within academic curriculum

Enhancing socially responsive teaching methodologies

 Strengthening interdisciplinary and practice based pedagogy

Encouraging participatory and community based learning approaches

Promoting inclusive and sustainable urban development education

Conclusion