Integrating South Asia Studies in Penn’s Professional Schools

1. Integrating South Asia Studies in Penn’s Professional Schools Jody Chavez, Managing Director South Asia Studies Department and the South Asia Center

2. Presentation Overview • Introduction • Penn’s international landscape • South Asia in the professional schools: • Three very different collaborations • Lessons learned: • Work with logical allies • Develop different models of engagement

3. Penn’s International Landscape • 12 professional schools, loosely connected • Strong partnership of Penn NRCs • Major increase in global activities • New Vice Provost for Global Initiatives

4. South Asia in the Professional Schools • Three very different collaborations: • Helping Wharton’s Lauder Institute introduce a Hindi Track in their existing joint MA/MBA degree program • Enhancing area specialization within the Ed. School’s International Educational Development M.S.Ed. Program • Seedinga tenure-track post in the pre-professional History & Sociology of Science Department

5. Lauder-Fischer Hall, home to the Lauder Institute

6. Collaboration #1: Wharton Lauder Institute • The Lauder curriculum: a joint MA/MBA degree • Students reach superior language proficiency level, 9 language tracks available • May session features intensive language and area studies • Summer overseas immersion program • Support for adding Hindi • Decision to introduce Hindi originated in Wharton, historical strengths of South Asia Studies helped • Business Hindi offered by South Asia Studies in 2010 • Needs assessment process included SAC Director and SAST Chair • SAST faculty willing to consult and teach course overload

7. Collaboration #2: GSE’s International Educational Development Program • Graduate School of Education’s 1-year M.S. Ed. program • Students can take language and area studies electives in the School of Arts & Sciences • SAC sponsors speakers & films, awards FLAS fellowships • SAC sponsored a conference with Pratham, an India-based educational NGO • Outcome: Pratham is now an internship site for IED students

8. Collaboration #3: History & Sociology of Science (HSSC) • 14-CU Health and Societies undergraduate Major • Global Health concentration • 2000-09: SAC sponsored South Asia health-related courses taught by an adjunct • 2010-14: SAC seeded a tenure-track position in HSSC department • 2011: historian of medicine in South Asia hired

9. Challenges • Building relationships and trust • Keeping degrees and collaborations in the active memory • Beating budget constraints

10. Lessons Learned • Look for faculty and administrations in professional schools who are logical allies • Capitalize on the energy of new faculty • Provide info about the Center and funding opportunities (i.e., FLAS) to admissions staff • Use grant funds to deepen & enrich • Use different models of engagement • Recognize the different ways areas studies fits within a professional school program • Use FLAS & conference funding strategically • Consider seeding a post

11. For more information, visit: • The South Asia Center: http://www.southasiacenter.upenn.edu/ • The South Asia Studies Department: http://www.southasia.upenn.edu/ • The Penn Compact: http://www.upenn.edu/president/penn-compact/penn-compact-landing • The Wharton Lauder Program: http://lauder.wharton.upenn.edu/ • The Graduate School of Education’s Int’l Educational Development M.S.Ed. Program: http://www.gse.upenn.edu/iedp/about • The History and Sociology of Science Department: https://hss.sas.upenn.edu/

12. Thank you! • jchavez@sas.upenn.edu