Are you a seeker, an explorer, a believer in the synchronicity of Life and the
spirit of gift?
Are you on an expedition to discover your purpose and use your talents to create a more beautiful world our hearts know is possible?
Are you asking the questions:
Who am I?
What are my gifts?
Why is my real purpose?
Are you a Khoji?
Swaraj University was birthed in 2010 as a experimental learning community for khoji-seekers to explore themselves and the world. With the spirit of Eklavya (from the Mahabharat), we creatively engage with the pedagogy of self-designed learning and are collectively working on the question of: how do we bring swaraj into our everyday lives. The idea of swaraj is inspired by MK Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Vinoba Bhave, our village grandmothers, tribal communities, ancient wisdom traditions, walkouts and the global crises facing humanity. We offer programs for khojis of all ages.
Self-designed learning means that each person actively designs and customises their own learning program according to their specific talents, questions, concerns and dreams. There is ample scope for learners to explore many areas at the same time and develop a trans-disciplinary curriculum. We believe in learning by doing, learning by making mistakes, learning by reflecting, learning by sharing and learning by service. Key elements of our program include self-awareness, action-research and experiments, community living, apprenticeships, learning journeys, unlearning challenges and social entrepreneurship projects.
Swaraj University Talks
“Real democracy is not about choosing our leaders. Real democracy (and a more just and ecological society) can only happen if we are able to choose our own gurus.” ~ Dayalchand Soni
What does Swaraj University offer?
From Dead-lihoods to Alive-lihoods Career Streams
Since 2010, we have had more than 150 youth learners from diverse socio-economic backgrounds participate in our two-year Khoji Program. We have also welcomed more than 2000 learners of all ages for the Swapathgami short courses and workshops. Many of these participants have walked out of their soul-sucking corporate jobs in search of more meaningful and regenerative lifestyles. While most mainstream universities prepare you for Dead-lihoods (careers which destroy the planet), we are focused on building Alive-lihoods - careers and lifestyles that make our spirits come alive and regenerate our local ecosystems.
“Schools and universities like to label students as ‘failures’. But it is not the student who the failure, it is the school which has failed the student. Real education should help students identify the unique seeds within them and support them to germinate-grow-share those seeds in beautiful ways with the world.”
~ Manish Jain
There is NO degree or certificate required to join Swaraj University, and we do not give any degrees after the programs. We are part of the Healing Ourselves from the Diploma Disease national campaign which invites employers to say NO to degrees and certificates and instead focus on real skills and experiences. We support khojis in creating their own learning portfolios and building their own startups so that they become job-creators and not job-beggars.
