Global learning, local impact: supporting development in Ambali

Students from Charles Sturt worked alongside Parul University peers and residents of Ambali Village, India, to better understand the complex social, environmental and economic challenges shaping rural community life. Through immersive fieldwork, interviews and community-led discussions, the team identified local priorities including poverty-driven school dropouts, limited education access and environmental pressures.

Using our work-integrated learning (WIL) framework, the program embeds cross-cultural learning and practical problem solving, enabling students to co-design initiatives with community members. Supported by the National Priorities Industry Linkage Fund (NPILF), students collaborated in mixed international teams to develop culturally appropriate interventions.

The project strengthened community understanding of development opportunities, deepened local leadership, capacity and enhanced students’ global citizenship and communication skills. Through genuine partnership, the initiative advances collaborative approaches that underpin effective cross-border sustainable development efforts.