The Lakhnu Sustainable Rural Development project has provided an impetus for Curtin University to gain the skills and knowledge to undertake sustainable community development work. It enhances skills of inter-disciplinary learning and research for Curtin students and principal researchers in the built environment field. The methodologies built and tested during these ongoing projects allow it to be replicated in other locations.

The project is nested within the International Study Tour 300/500 elective unit. It provides a model of community participation and interdisciplinary collaboration towards rural development in North India. It contributes to developing and empowering local capacity and skills while leading to a sustainable built form outcome. The aim is to build long term relationships and collaborative research between Indian and Australian students, academics and professionals. It also encourages cross cultural understanding and educational development for students and academic staff of both countries, bringing them together for a common purpose in the remote Indian village of Lakhnu. These project aims are directly aligned with Curtin’s internationalization strategy that focuses on increasing student mobility; that is, to increase the number of outbound study abroad activities annually.