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From reinterpretations of the Ramayana to studies of Islamic law and of political ritual; from fresh insights into sufi and bhakti poetry to the exploring of diasporic film; from inquiries into the origins of literary traditions to analyses of the party systems and market economies of the 1990s, University of Chicago scholars have been at the forefront of research and scholarship on South Asia.
The Committee on Southern Asian Studies has strengthened the University's reputation for being a teacher of teachers. Its annual output of 10-12 Ph.D.s provides faculty to leading colleges and universities across the country and abroad. Many South Asia graduates go to work for the State Department, the Asia Society, the Rand Corporation, Amnesty International, as well as for banks, consulting firms and international businesses. The quality of its faculty and students is reflected in the more than 400 competitive fellowships they have won since 1962.
The Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations (SALC) teaches two classical languages (Sanskrit and Pali), eight modern (Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Persian, Tamil, Tibetan, Telugu and Urdu) and offers courses that place their literatures and cultures in critical and comparative contexts.
Students study Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, through a variety of theoretical perspectives in the course offerings of 25 humanities and social science departments and six professional schools.
Since its establishment four decades ago, the year-long flagship undergraduate course, Introduction to South Asian Civilization, has been taught by humanists and social scientists who appreciate and learn from each other. Its transdisciplinary approach appeals to students who want to reach beyond Western civilization as well as to those who want to explore their South Asian backgrounds. Undergraduate programs include a concentration in a social science and a humanistic variant of South Asian studies. The College also offers a quarter abroad program in India.
The Graduate School of Business, the Committee on International Relations and the Divinity, Public Policy and Law schools offer joint degrees with SALC or degrees that incorporate South Asian course work.
The University of Chicago houses one of the world's leading private South Asia libraries. This remarkable collection added the 500,000th volume in 1998, and includes nearly 7,000 serials, 3,000 audio-visuals, and 8,000 maps. Its outstanding bibliographer and staff provide friendly access to visiting scholars and Friends of South Asia as well as to university faculty and students.
The South Asia Outreach and Educational Project provides timely information schools, colleges, media, firms, and government agencies. It publishes the quarterly South Asia Newsletter and brings 100 collegiate and secondary teachers to campus annually for conferences and workshops.
For many years, generous funding from private foundations (Ford, MacArthur, Mellon, Rockefeller and Carnegie), public institutions (the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Department of Education) and the Friends of South Asia has supported faculty scholarship, student fellowships, and library acquisitions. |
The
University of Chicago ranks among the world’s leading centers
for South Asian Studies. Since the 1950s, its innovative scholarship,
teaching and public service have set new standards in the United
States and abroad for knowledge about the Indian subcontinent. Faculty
and programs added in the 1990s have provided depth and vision to
interpretations of contemporary cultural and economic developments.
In the academic, private sector and public arenas alike, the program's
graduates have made South Asia accessible to wider audiences, encouraging
appreciation of its distinctive ways of life.
