ABOUT THE CENTER

 

The Center for South Asia supports extensive research, academic study and outreach relating to the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Tibet.

There are over twenty faculty who devote their work full-time to research and teaching on South Asia. Over 50 courses each semester are offered by these faculty with at least 50% concentration on South Asian studies. In addition, through the Department of Languages and Cultures of Asia, the Center for South Asia lends both research and fiscal support for the teaching of such South Asian languages as Hindi, Urdu, Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan (both modern/spoken, and literary), Telugu, Tamil and Nepali.

Outreach Coordinator

Rachel Weiss, has a broad background in South Asian Studies. She has a BA in Art History; and an MA in South Asian Studies (in which she primarily focused on Religions of India) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Rachel has studied in Nepal for 6 months; and in South India for 4 years.

Rachel is available to consult with teachers, and provide advise on materials for the classroom. She has been invited to give classroom presentations to grades k-12 on various topics all across Wisconsin state. If she isn’t available personally, there are many other graduate students and faculty members who assist with outreach requests.If you would like to schedule a visitor to come to your classroom to talk about South Asia, show slides, or give a lecture on various topics, please contact saoutreach@intl-institute.wisc.edu at least one month in advance.

K-16 Outreach

At the Center for South Asia we provide access to resources for teaching about South Asia at the K-12, secondary, and post-secondary level and to the community at large. As a part of our federal mandate, all outreach services are free of charge.

We can assist teachers and community leaders in designing programs on a number of aspects of the arts, civilizations, cultures, geographies, history, and languages of South Asia.

If you would like to schedule a visitor to come to your classroom to talk about South Asia, show slides, or give a lecture on various topics, please contact saoutreach@intl-institute.wisc.edu at least one month in advance.

K-16 Educators

The outreach coordinator along with CSA faculty offer teachers’ workshops, seminars, scholarship access grants, and other opportunities for learning about South Asia. If you would like to be informed of such opportunities please email: saoutreach@intl-institute.wisc.edu to be put on our “outreach” mailing list.

Materials

Visit our web site on South Asia: for useful information. It is our goal to have more classroom friendly material on our website. This summer, 2004, we will be launching “Exploring South Asia: Curriculum for your Classroom,” developed by teachers who traveled to India on a Fulbright Hays Group Projects Abroad grant last summer.

Documentary Films

The Center for South Asia has been a leader in documentary filmmaking on South Asia, distributing the most extensive and diverse collection of documentary films on South Asia in North America. These films are available for purchase in VHS format. Many have in-depth companion film guides for use by educators. There are more than thirty documentary titles appropriate for secondary, post-secondary, and community use, a religions of South Asia lecture series, and two documentaries appropriate to the middle grades. Complete information on each film can be found on our web site at: http://www.southasia.wisc.edu

We are offering a special to educators from the State of Wisconsin. With proof of endorsement from your school, we will sell our documentaries for the nominal cost of $20.00 for the video and film guide (regular institutional cost is $145.00).

Mission Statement

It is the mission of the Center for South Asia to encourage scholarly discourse, appreciation, and understanding of South Asian cultures and issues. We are committed to providing hands-on assistance and useful materials at the local, regional and national levels.