About CSAMES sections

The South Asia Initiative

The South Asia Initiative is a collaborative project at the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign with the University of Pittsburgh. 

Countries included are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

The Goal:

The initiative was set up to foster a deeper and broader understanding of the multicultural and multilingual South Asia with its increasingly prominent role in the global economy, health and nutrition, science and technology, and agriculture, among others. 

In order to accomplish this goal, the two institutions will consolidate their strengths to provide resources and opportunities for promoting:

  • National and international faculty research on South Asia
  • Collaborations with South Asian institutions
  • Strong instruction in South Asian languages, cultures, and related fields
  • Outreach and community engagement
  • Teacher training
  • Study abroad opportunities for students
  • Development of degree programs
  • Library resources
  • Conferences, workshops, and cultural events
  • Study of South Asian languages

This initiative will present a unique forum for the exchange of ideas across disciplines and for developing new collaborations, visions, and approaches for the understanding of one of the prominent regions in the contemporary world.

This initiative is supported by the Office of the Provost, International Programs and Studies (IPS), the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (CSAMES), and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS).