Middle East and South Asia Studies
- Department Interdisciplinary
- Academic Division The College
- Offerings With Language Emphasis minor Without Language minor
The Middle East and South Asia, though wide in extent and culturally diverse, contain multiple cradles of civilization, 从古代起就被文化联系在一起, religious and economic networks, 陆上(丝绸之路)和海上(印度洋).
Middle East and South Asia
Students in the MESA program gain broad-based, historically grounded knowledge about the societies and cultures of the Middle East and South Asia, 包括它们之间的联系和整个地区的模式, 获得分析和解释社会的技能, religious, 与该地区有关的政治和文化进程或发展.
Students may choose to minor in Middle East and South Asia Studies Or MESA Studies with Language Emphasis, 两者都需要七门课程(至少21学分). Language emphasis requires three additional 3-4 credit courses earned by completing through term five in one MESA-relevant language. 前两个学期的语言学习不适用于辅修. 阿拉伯文和梵文教学均可在W&L; other MESA-relevant languages, such as Hebrew, Hindi or Tibetan, may be studied elsewhere and considered by the program director for credit toward the minor with language emphasis.
Opportunities
Students are encouraged to take advantage of study abroad or language learning opportunities in the Middle East and South Asia. Washington and Lee’s relationships with the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and Middlebury Schools Abroad facilitate student experiences in Jordan and India. “关键语言项目”是由美国政府资助的.S. 美国国务院为美国学生提供全额资助的暑期语言学院.S. 学习阿拉伯语、印地语、印尼语、乌尔都语、波斯语、旁遮普语、孟加拉语或土耳其语的学生. Students may also consider programs with the Council on International Education Exchange or the School for International Training, which offer opportunities in Jordan, India, Indonesia, Morocco or Nepal. 其中一些经历可以获得奖学金.
The Association for Middle East Interests, a campus student group, is dedicated to informing the student body and Rockbridge-area community about the Middle East.
其他课外活动包括电影之夜, calligraphy lessons, cooking lessons, dance lessons, spoken word nights, guest speakers and the WLUArabic Lunch.
Addie-Grace Cook ’25, a politics major with a double minor in Middle East and South Asia studies and poverty and human capability studies, is spending her summer making an impact in the greater Rockbridge community through a Shepherd Program internship with Project Horizon.
Pari Ahmadi ’24 will be working as a clinical research coordinator at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute before attending medical school.
W&L’s Maddy Mayer ’24 Earns U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria
Mayer will teach English in Austria before pursuing a master’s degree in international relations.
Anthony Edwards, professor of Arabic, brings his boundless energy to his teaching, research and mentorship of students.
Janae Darby ’25 will participate in the prestigious program this summer at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
W&L的Brandon Bishop ' 26荣获国会-联邦议院青年交流奖学金
Starting in July, Bishop will participate in a year-long cultural immersion program in Germany.
Record Number of W&L学生获重要语言奖学金
The Critical Language Scholarship Program funds a summer of overseas language and cultural immersion.
Hafsa Oubou’s essay “Churches Can, Mosques Can’t” appears in the January edition of Canopy Forum.
Thomas deBuchananne ' 27获得CIE阿拉伯夏季奖学金
Washington and Lee’s Center for International Education awarded deBuchananne funding to study Arabic at the University of Jordan this summer.
安东尼·爱德华兹(Anthony Edwards)的文章关注的是19世纪东方主义者格雷戈里·M. Wortabet.
安东尼·爱德华兹(Anthony Edwards)举例说明了他的案例研究,重点是khal
Sample Courses
At W&我们相信教育和经验是相辅相成的. You’ll be encouraged to dive in, explore and discover connections that will broaden your perspective.
MESA 255
Language Policies & Politics
对北非语言政策的考察, the Middle East, and South Asia (broadly defined). Students are introduced to the concepts and theories involved in language planning and policy (LPP) and discuss topics such as the legal status of language(s); linguistic rights; language attitudes and ideologies; language in education; language standardization; multilingualism and nationalism; and language endangerment. Students investigate the factors that govern and influence different LPPs through a series of case studies from the MESA region.
REL 132
God & Goddess in Hinduism
This course explores the many ways in which Hindus visualize and talk about the divine and its manifestations in the world through mythic stories, use of images in worship, 解释灵魂和身体的本质与神的关系, 以及对印度教神圣男人和女人的神性化身的信仰. Topics include: the religious meanings of masculine and feminine in the divine and human contexts; the idea of local, family and "chosen" divinities; and differing forms of Hindu devotion for men and women.
REL 231
Yogis, Monks & Mystics
Yogis, ascetics and other holy people pursue extraordinary paths that invert the normal aims and values of society. 这门课程探讨了人们对心理和身体训练的看法, their conceptual basis, the range of techniques used, and their philosophical development. 课程材料取材于不同的宗教,可能包括印度教, Buddhist, Jain, Islamic and Christian. The course seeks to answer such questions as: “What is the purpose of these teachings and for whom were they designed?”“瑜伽修行者和苦行僧在宗教生活中扮演什么角色?以及“他们在世界上的道德地位如何??”
ARTH 343
Art & Material Culture of Tibet
通过按时间顺序展示地点和物品, 我们研究西藏从7世纪到20世纪的伟大艺术运动. 西藏艺术与物质文化分析, and its larger cultural zone, 有艺术史和史学的重点. This two-pronged approach encourages students to analyze not only the styles and movements of Tibetan art, but the methods by which this art world has been studied by and simultaneously presented to Western audiences.
REL 284
Gender, Sexuality & Islam
How have issues of gender and sexuality in medieval and modern Islamic societies been debated across the Middle East, South Asia and the West? 学生研究性别和伊斯兰教的学术和公开讨论, 他们建立了一个词汇来谈论女性, queer and intersex history as they concern Muslim societies and their foundational sources in their regional and historical contexts.
LIT 295
Arab Women Writers
本课程探讨阿拉伯文学传统中女性作家的文学作品. In the Western world, Arab women’s fiction is often read in order to gain insight into the social and political questions facing women in various Arab societies — the metaphorical drawing of the veil from the face of the Arab woman. We follow this mode of inquiry to some extent, 我们也考虑到我们一开始就渴望揭开面纱. While paying attention to literary themes, poetics, rhetoric and literary forms, 我们考察妇女在阿拉伯文学文化中所扮演的角色, 他们在不同时期所采用的叙事和诗歌形式, 以及这些对中东性别动态的反映.
Meet the Faculty
At W&L, students enjoy small classes and close relationships with professors who educate and nurture.
Seth Cantey
Associate Professor of Politics; MESA Program Head
Cantey teaches courses on global politics, Middle Eastern politics, intelligence, terrorism and foreign policy. 他对时事的评论被各种媒体转载, such as USA Today and the Huffington Post.
Kameliya N. Atanasova
Assistant Professor of Religion
Atanasova研究宗教的交集, 通过研究苏非派在近代早期奥斯曼帝国的社会角色来研究法律和政治. 她教授伊斯兰文明、苏菲主义、美国的伊斯兰教和电影中的穆斯林.
Aliaa Bassiouny
Lawrence Term Associate Professor of Finance
Bassiouny的教学组合包括管理金融课程, investments, portfolio management, international finance, valuation and financial modeling. Her research interests include investments and empirical market microstructure with a focus on emerging markets.
Niels-Hugo (Hugo) Blunch
达罗德和凯·坎南经济学终身教授
Blunch teaches econometrics and health economics, and also takes students to Ghana for study abroad. 他的研究涉及健康、教育和劳动力市场问题. 此前,布兰奇曾与世界银行和联合国合作.
Alexandra R. Brown
Fletcher Otey Thomas Professor in Bible
布朗教授有关新约和其他古代基督教文本的课程, Bible and film, gender and religion, Christian mysticism, 以及宗教研究的理论和方法. 她主要研究新约,尤其是保罗书信.
Anthony (Antoine) Edwards
Assistant Professor of Arabic
Edwards teaches courses in Arabic at all levels as well as a course on the Arab world through film. His research centers around Arabic language and grammar as well as the histories and ideologies of Arabic.
Stuart Gray
Associate Professor of Politics
Gray teaches numerous courses on political philosophy, Gandhi and Greek/Indian political theory. 他的研究重点是政治思想史, 全球比较政治理论与南亚政治思想.
Timothy Lubin
Jessie Ball DuPont Professor of Religion
卢宾教授教授亚洲宗教和宗教与法律比较研究课程. He researches Hindu religious history, law in ancient Asia, and texts and inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Old Javanese and Old Tamil.
Shikha Silwal
Associate Professor of Economics
Silwal teaches courses such as The Economics of War and Peace, and Culture and Economic Development. 她还在尼泊尔联合教授一门留学课程. 西尔瓦尔主要研究南亚地区的冲突与和平问题.