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US students to experience, understand India more deeply under new program |
Students at Kansas State University are looking forward to a deeper understanding of India and experiencing
its culture, say two leaders who are working to give students more opportunities
to learn about and experience South Asia. Barry Michie, director of international
program support at K-State and Bradley Shaw, co-principal investigator, have said
that the fascination for India has gone through a change in recent times. "For
instance, in the 1960s and '70s, most people's idea of India centered on sacred
cows, Ravi Shankar, spirituality and bullock carts. But I think we've gone way
beyond that point with students' perceptions of South Asia today as a region of
growing economic and political importance to the U.S. and their own lives," said
Michie. The university has received a two-year grant from the U.S. Department
of Education to enhance K-State offerings in South Asian studies. The Title VI
grant under the Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program
will help K-State develop a proposed interdisciplinary secondary major in South
Asian studies and will expand faculty and student opportunities in South Asia
across all colleges. A four-semester sequence of Hindi language classes is included
in the project. Michie said they hope to have the secondary major approved by
the university and the Kansas Board of Regents by the end of the 2010-2011 academic
year. The researchers have said that it is more than just India's growing importance
in world politics and economics that makes South Asian studies a priority at K-State.
"Students today see it in their own self interest to know more about the world
and to add some kind of international dimension to their study, whether it's generalized
international study or a more specific region of the world. They see possible
professional opportunities for themselves -- whether they choose engineering,
a humanities discipline, journalism or any another field -- and they want to have
a competitive edge," said Shaw. The planned secondary major would not only add
Hindi language classes, but it is also designed to create 14 new or revised courses
with a focus on South Asia and adds experiential programs in India like study
abroad programs, joint projects, internships and volunteer opportunities for undergraduate
students. K-State faculty across all disciplines will have opportunities to revise
their courses, travel in India and create relationships for study or research.
"These faculty opportunities fan out to have the effect of reaching many undergraduate
students," said Shaw. "We hope to tap into a heritage market of students whose
parents are from India but who themselves have been born and raised in the United
States," said Michie. |
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