Brown University has launched the 'Year of India' programme to explore the country's rich culture, polity and economy, and its rise on the international stage.
A year-long-seminar launched jointly by Brown, MIT and Harvard, throws spotlight on under discussed aspects of South Asian politics. The topics range from the nation's court system, women and HIV, Foreign policy, Hindi films, and dealing with terrorism.
The varsity launched its programme with the world premier of 'Songs of Sorrowful man' — a documentary on the life of Dukhushyam Chitrakar, an artist of Naya village in West Bengal.
The upcoming academic year would be full of a variety of programmes on Indian culture, polity and economy. Also, it includes public lectures, art exhibitions, films, academic conferences and visit to Indian landscape.
Recognising India's rise on the international stage, American universities, like Harvard, Yale and Stanford have recently launched initiatives to understand India in a better way.
"The Ivy League schools want to prepare their students for the new global realities. To be cosmopolitan today requires paying greater attention to the alterations in international politics and economics, and the cultural shifts that normally accompany such changes," Ashutosh Varshney, the Chair of India event at the Brown said.
"The superb and diverse programs planned for this Year of India reflect our deep commitment to bringing Brown to the world and the world to Brown," said Matthew Gutmann, vice president for international affairs.
Brown university would host founder of Infosys Narayan Murthy who will speak about the role played by information technology in placing India on the global stage. Also there would be plenty of events showcasing India's economy.
The university is also bringing to light other shades of the country, which the world is less familiar with, including its history, society and culture.
"While the fact of India's new global stature may no longer be surprising, understanding the history and potential of modern India is more important than ever for all academic disciplines," President of Brown University Ruth J Simmons said.
Next year, Bollywood actress Konkona Sen Sharma would also set to visit the campus for a lecture and film screening. Underlining that the interest in India will continue to grow, Varshney, who also teaches political science at the Brown said, "our world is increasingly more global. With the rise of India and China, it will also be less Euro-centric."
"We will not understand our global future well, if we remain mired in the older intellectual dispositions," he added.
