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OU’s School of International and Area Studies offers minors and majors focused on Russia and Eastern Europe, Western Europe, East Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
But one area of the world is missing from this list: South Asia.
There is no South Asian Studies program at OU, not even a minor. Given South Asia’s potentially massive impact on global affairs — largely due to its huge population and skyrocketing economies — this is a shame.
The discipline of international studies analyzes economics, culture and politics on a global level.
Throughout history, its interdisciplinary focus has shifted from one area of the world to another. In the height of the Cold War, Russia and Eastern Europe were the most popular fields of study.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, that focus shifted to the Middle East.
The increasing economic power of China and the other “Asian Tigers” made study of East Asia popular and important.
In coming years, South Asia will become the focus. It’s not a question of if, but when.
South Asia is comprised of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka — nations tied together by similar cultures and shared history that culminated British colonial subjugation.
Following full independence from Britain, these countries have pursued self-determined policies at home and abroad, and several have reached global prominence in a number of areas.
India’s population of more than 1.1 billion is second only to China, and it is the largest democracy in the world.
Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated nations of the world, boasts over 150 million people.
Therefore, excluding South Asia from a program of international study automatically excludes 20 percent of the world’s population.
This alone would make any program of international program incomplete.
The most important reason OU should have a South Asian studies program is the area’s growing economic importance.
South Asia’s huge population boasts a large and well-educated workforce.
This, in addition to low labor costs, has made South Asia a prime location for companies seeking to cheaply expand their global presence.
South Asia’s economic synergy with the rest of the world will only increase in the coming decade. The national economies of South Asia are experiencing massive growth owing to industrialization, large-scale foreign investment and its massive workforce.
The countries of the region are transforming themselves from primarily service-dominated to manufacturing and technology-based economies.
The image of South Asia as a monsoon-battered, malaria-ridden backwater is fading away.
Soon, it will disappear — as it will have been eclipsed by the reality of strong economies closely tied to Western companies and consumers.
This close relationship is not lost on academics.
“There have been several proposals for a South Asian studies program,” according to Dr. Robert Cox, director of the School of International and Area Studies.
“Many of them have been made by students,” Cox said.
SIAS has been around since 2001, and it boasts large enrollment.
It’s logical to think a South Asian studies program will be just as popular as the school’s other programs.
A problem, however, is the lack of faculty qualified in South Asian disciplines. To make matters worse, there are currently no plans to hire such faculty.
This is not the fault of either the SIAS or of OU.
“We can always request more faculty of any type,” Cox said, “but the budget from the state is the determining factor.”
There is not enough money to hire new faculty, especially to form a brand-new program.
This is unfortunate because OU is missing a chance to be on the true cutting edge of international and area studies.
Presently, only a handful of universities nationwide have programs focused on South Asia. By building such a program here, OU would demonstrate that it is conscious of global affairs.
By not awarding money for such a program, the Legislature risks doing great harm to OU’s image as a flagship institute of higher education.
South Asia’s size and economic activity reverberate throughout the world.
How can any institution that completely omits the study of such an integral part of the world claim to be a leading university?
OU is known as an educational innovator and a good place to spend four years getting a solid education.
If a South Asian studies program is not created, however, OU will gradually lose its currently enviable status.
The education offered here will be missing a program crucial to a balanced, globally-relevant education.
Students whose interests or future careers include working in a global arena will not choose a school that does not satisfy the demands of their occupational fields.
Without a South Asian studies program, OU will diminish in stature as a quality educational institution and — more importantly — its global relevance.
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