Duke South Asian Studies Report

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Duke South Asian Studies Report
The Case for Expanding South Asian Studies at
Duke
Presented by Shawn Kwatra, Duke Diya Co-President
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Facts about South Asia

• Followers of four of the worlds largest
  religions
• Two nuclear powers
• The worlds largest democracy second fastest
  growing economy
• 23 of the worlds population

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State of South Asian Studies

• Only 12 South Asia-focused courses offered in the
  Spring 2008 Semester
• Asian and African Language and LiteratureAALL
  135 Kundalini Yoga and Sikh Dharma, Keval
  KhalsaAALL 136 Dance Religion in Asia and
  Africa, Purnima Shah Ava VinsettAALL 170
  Indian Cinema, Satendra Khanna
• Hindi
• Hindi 2 Elementary Hindi, Premlata
  VaishnavaHindi 64 Intermediate Hindi, Premlata
  VaishnavaHindi 126 Advanced Hindi, Satendra
  KhannaHindi 184S Topics in Hindi, Satendra
  Khanna
• HistoryHISTORY 299S Environmental Health in
  India and China, Dominic Sachsenmair
• ReligionREL 43 Hinduism, Leela PrasadREL
  115BS Buddhist Ethics, Richard JaffeREL 167
  Ethics in South Asia, Leela PrasadREL 185
  Classical Indian Religious Images, David Need
• No course offerings in Economics, Political
  Science, or Public Policy

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Peer Institution Comparison
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Plan of Action

• Facebook group 235 members
• Met with South Asian Studies Faculty
• DSG representatives Jordan Giordano and Kristin
  Pfeiffer
• Created South Asian Studies Committee
• Conducted survey to gauge student interest
• Wrote report detailing recommendations

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Survey Results

• 100 Responses
• 60 of respondents not of South Asian descent
• A majority of students were
• unsatisfied or unaware of South Asia-related
  course offerings (86)
• interested in studying abroad in South Asia (77)
• expressed interest in a South Asian Studies
  Certificate Program (52)
• would like to see Duke place a greater emphasis
  on South Asian Studies (73)

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Survey Results continued
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Survey Conclusion

• Misalignment between student interest and current
  course offerings
• Students are most interested in
• South Asia-related courses
• in Economics, Political Science
• and Public Policy departments
• No courses currently offered
• in these departments

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Short-Term Recommendations

• Creation of a South Asian Studies Committee
  comprised of students and faculty members
• Increased course offerings by current professors
• Visiting professors specializing in South Asian
  Studies
• Particularly in Economics, Political Science, and
  Public Policy

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Intermediate-term Recommendations

• A South Asian Studies Certificate
• Modeled after Jewish Studies and Latin American
  Studies Certificates
• 6 courses Introduction, Capstone, and 4 elective
  courses
• Would encourage interdisciplinary study
• Increased Study Abroad Offerings in South Asia

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Long-term Recommendations

• Increased faculty appointments in South Asian
  Studies
• Additional programs of study
• Minor and Major, Focus program
• Center for South Asian Studies
• Would resemble current structure of Freeman
  Center
• Encourage interdisciplinary cooperation
• Could serve as academic and cultural hub for
  student-faculty interaction

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Conclusion

• Expanding Dukes South Asian Studies program
  would help create students
• who are intellectually, experientially, and
  ethically prepared to enter a world characterized
  by globalization
• -Making a Difference The Strategic
  Plan for Duke University

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Duke South Asian Studies Committee

• Shawn Kwatra, Duke Diya Co-President
• Aneesh Kapur, Duke Diya Political Chair
• Neena Makam, DSG Liaison
• Tariq Mohideen, DSG Liaison
• Karan Advani
• Karan Chhabra
• Erica Jain
• Nihaal Karnik
• John Stokes
• Vivek Upadhyay
• Divya Yerramilli