International Studies Program

Middlebury College

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PROGRAM

http://www.go.middlebury.edu/is

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

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elcome to the International Studies Program at Middlebury College. Rooted in the middle of the Green Mountains, this program prepares undergraduate students to grow intellectually with a solid grounding in international studies from a liberal arts perspective. The faculty for the international studies major is drawn from the following departments and programs: Arabic, Chinese, classics, economics, environmental studies, film & media culture, French, geography, German, history, history of art and architecture, Italian, Japanese, philosophy, political science, religion, Russian, sociology and anthropology, and Spanish.

Students will be exposed to the global stage through the introductory course and also within the different elective courses. They will be required to get a deeper understanding in a region of their choice related to their language of study. They will get used to looking at both the forest and the trees.

To reach this goal, the International Studies Program has three components: (1) a discipline ranging from history to political science, (2) a language, and (3) a regional specialization (Africa, East Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Russia and Eastern Europe, and South Asia). Students become experts in a region, getting to understand it using multiple tools. The majority of students fulfill their study abroad requirement by staying overseas for a full year, thus benefiting from extended cultural immersion. They attend one of our schools abroad, which are located in more than 30 cities. Coming back full of memories and immersed in the local education system and local communities, our students learn as much about the different cultural heritages, the political systems and values, as they learn about themselves.

The second largest major on campus, the International Studies Program is proud to introduce you to our seven areas of study. —Thierry Warin Associate Professor of Economics Director of the International Studies Program

CONTACT INFORMATION Robert A. Jones ’59 House Middlebury College 148 Hillcrest Road Middlebury,Vermont 05753 Carolann Davis, Program Coordinator cadavis@middlebury.edu Phone: 802-443-2319 Fax: 802-443-2050 http://www.go.middlebury.edu/is (off campus) go/is (on campus)

AFRICAN STUDIES

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frica is a continent that has probably been more mythologized in popular Western culture than any other. Yet beyond the pervasive stereotypes and images of Africa and Africans lie dynamic worlds of deep complexity and rich diversity. It is a continent that is three times the size of the United States and holds a wide range of landscapes—from rainforests to deserts, savanna grasslands to snow-capped mountains, small rural homesteads to bustling urban centers of millions. It was the birthplace of humankind, has seen the rise and fall of myriad societies and states over millennia, and is now home to hundreds of languages and cultures. Through resources, trade, religion, migration, and the arts it has felt the effects of transnational and global changes and made its own impacts on other regions of the world. And while we often hear more familiar narratives of how Africa has experienced such things as slavery, colonialism, war, poverty, and disease, what about the equally profound stories of how Africans have collectively and individually faced their challenges by finding creative ways of making a living, reshaping their cultural norms and practices, or more generally pursuing their hopes and dreams?

African Studies at Middlebury opens the door to these many African worlds. Through interdisciplinary coursework, study abroad, and language immersion, students are encouraged to move beyond preconceived notions of the continent to reflect critically and creatively on the nature of particular African predicaments, past and present. Some of our recent graduates have culminated their studies with senior thesis projects on such diverse topics as comparing government efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in South Africa, Malawi, and Uganda; the experiences of Sudanese refugee youth in Cairo, Egypt; and liberation theology in post-colonial Cameroon.

—Jacob Tropp Spencer Fellow in African Studies Associate Professor of History

TORREY ELIZABETH CRIM ’09 I chose to be an African studies major after taking Jacob Tropp’s History of Modern Africa survey course during my freshman year at Middlebury.

While the program is small, I had a lot of freedom in structuring the major and was able to create an independent study course my sophomore year. I went abroad in the spring of my junior year to Uganda with the School for International Training, and I focused on the region in Uganda where I lived for my senior thesis work. After graduation, I have a summer job in Paraguay, working with young adults on health education and water sanitation projects.

EAST ASIAN STUDIES

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ast Asia is home to nearly a quarter of the world’s people, to the globe’s second largest economy, the Japanese, and to its fastest growing and most dynamic one, the Chinese. It boasts more than 3500 years of rich cultural history, from the earliest Chinese writing on turtle shells to the latest Korean television drama; but it is the East Asian present and future that will almost certainly help shape the way we live in the coming years. If the 20th century was the “American Century,” the 21st may well prove to be the “Asian Century,” and the study of East Asia and its rapidly transforming societies will be essential for any citizen of our increasingly globalized world.

The East Asian Studies Program at Middlebury offers students a broad knowledge of the region—both its traditions and its contemporary challenges, and in-depth training in the language and society of a chosen national culture. East Asian Studies majors study the Chinese or Japanese language (or, with increasing frequency, both) and focus on a discipline that becomes their lens for viewing the aspects of the region they find most compelling. Study abroad in either China or Japan provides increased mastery of these challenging languages and gives students direct access to the people and places that make East Asia one of the world’s most vibrant and fascinating regions. Whether you study emerging global markets in Beijing, postmodern media culture in Tokyo, or Buddhist traditions across the region, the insights gained from first-hand experience and guided independent research can be decisive factors in a future career.

The East Asian Studies Program at Middlebury has grown rapidly in the past few years, in response to increasing recognition of the role of the region in global economic and political affairs. But students who study in the Program invariably discover the cultural riches beyond strategic concerns—the pleasure of reading a poem by Du Fu in the original or viewing a traditional Noh play—developing, in the process, an expertise in both the contemporary societies that will continue to grow in global significance and the traditions that made them possible. Recent student research projects have explored such topics as the political dimensions of blogging in China, the regional and global implications of yen exchange

rates, and human rights and identity politics in rural China and urban Japan. A major in East Asian Studies provides an opportunity to develop significant expertise in the region, explore individual interests, and prepare for on-going engagement with languages and societies that will play central roles in the future of our world.

—Stephen Snyder Professor of Japanese Studies

YAGI SAKURA ’09 Taking classes in various disciplines for the international studies major has given me the opportunity to study the East Asia region from different angles. The IS major was perfect for me because it is structured so that I had the freedom to study the various components of the region and subjects that matter most to me. I was able to gain a well-rounded knowledge of the East Asian nations, which allowed me to comprehensively examine the complex relationships between them. Though I was hesitant to study abroad for a year in two countries, China and Japan, it was one of the most enriching years of my life. It was extremely important for me to personally experience the friction between the two East Asian superpowers because it motivated me to write my thesis on the myriad of reasons behind the tense relationship. Although I am going back home to New York after graduation, I hope to return to China or Japan in order to continue studying the steps necessary to improve Sino-Japanese relations.

Ebisu also translated Yebisu or called Hirukoor Kotoshiro-nushi-no-kami, is the Japanese god of fishermen, good luck, and workingmen, as well as the guardian of the health of small children. He is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune, and the only one of the seven to originate from Japan.

EUROPEAN STUDIES

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hat is EUROPE?—A separate continent? A dizzying array of different peoples, cultures, and languages? The birthplace of science, industry, and Western thought? A collection of colonizing powers? A bulwark of democracy? The most visited tourist destination in the world? Europe is all of these things—well, maybe except for the “separate” continent idea. While Europe clearly is a unique region, a glance at a globe shows that the landmass has no clear boundary with Asia. Even in human geographic terms Europe’s boundaries are problematic: where is Central Europe? Where does Eastern Europe end?

Does the European Union represent Europe?

For most of human history the boundaries of Europe have been in flux: the Roman Empire pulled Europe towards the Mediterranean, the Cold War divided it along an Iron Curtain, and countless wars have torn it apart inside. But this lack of boundaries, and the complex character that results from it, is what makes Europe so fascinating to begin with— there is no uniform definition, yet everybody seems to appreciate what it is made of as the well-known joke reveals: In the best of times, the English greet you, the French provide the cuisine, the Germans organize things, and the Italians provide entertainment. In the worst of times, the French are your hosts, the English offer you food, the Italians are the organizers, and the Germans are in charge of fun.

European Studies at Middlebury will take you beyond such stereotypes of heaven and hell in Europe and far beyond simple textbook explanations. It will offer you a road map to explore and learn about this fascinating realm. You will master one of the major European languages, get a disciplinary toolkit to study the region, and spend a year at one of its universities. You will be richer in your understanding of Europe, and through its reflection on what you already know, also the place you call home. I wouldn’t be surprised if you came up with an anecdote that conveys its character much better than the well-worn joke of heaven and hell!

—Guntram Herb Professor of Geography

CALLIE LYNN COLLINS ’09 My International Studies major has opened up a lot of doors at Middlebury. As a European Studies specialist with a French literature and culture focus, I’ve been able to study a huge variety of subjects. I spent the spring semester of my sophomore year studying Greek literature and philosophy in Athens. I was also able to spend a full academic year in Bordeaux, France; I enrolled directly at the French university, completed an independent study in translation, and spent a lot of my time sitting in cafes.

My senior thesis on Albert Camus’s theory of the absurd man was another way to work independently, something the IS major really encourages.

The international studies program encompasses many different regions, languages, and disciplines, and it gives its students plenty of room to really determine their own course of study. This freedom helped me find many ways to focus on the subjects that mattered most to me. I am headed back home to Austin, Texas, to start a short fiction quarterly with one of my friends, but I plan someday to go to graduate school to further pursue my interest in French literature and in European Studies.

Lake Lucern, Switzerland Photo: Guntram Herb

LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

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n 1507, German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller named the New World landmass America after the Italian navigator and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci, and we have been confused about the continent ever since. Most references in English assume that there are two continents, North America and South America. In Spanish, however, the assumption is that there is a single continent, América. There is much confusion when it comes to nomenclature. Why was the river that separates Argentina and Uruguay named the Río de la Plata when no silver was ever discovered there? The Yucatán peninsula was purportedly given its name by Spaniards who misunderstood local inhabitants who were not telling them the name of their region, rather stating “you speak too rapidly; we don’t understand your language.” And Latin is not spoken anywhere in Latin America.

So what is Latin America? It is the geographic region that encompasses everything in the Western Hemisphere south of the United States.

Spanish and Portuguese are the predominant languages, but there are more than a dozen others spoken in the region. Much of the history of Latin America is based on confusion and misunderstanding, and one of your challenges will be to sort through the myths, misinformation, and assumptions often associated with the area. As a Latin American Studies major, you will be exposed to the great geographic, cultural, historical, economic, political, and demographic diversity of the region and learn to look at all these issues from a Latin American perspective.You will develop the tools for rich cultural understanding through an interdisciplinary approach that provides you with a breadth of knowledge combined with disciplinary depth. The program prides itself on providing a space for discourse, debate, and research of Latin American political, economic, social, and cultural issues through coursework, study abroad, internship opportunities, guest lectures, and independent research. As a result, we expect you will graduate with an appreciation of the complexities and opportunities of Latin America today and well into the future.

—Miguel Fernandez Associate Professor of Spanish Faculty Associate in Admissions, Spanish, and Portuguese

ELIZABETH MARY HERRON-SWEET ’09 International Studies has been such a perfect major for me because what interests me and what I wanted to study is a region—Latin America. The IS major allowed me to take a wide array of classes from many disciplines (to name a few–political science, history, sociology, Spanish and Portuguese) that all contributed to my knowledge and understanding of Latin America. I fell in love with Brazil as soon as I started taking Portuguese at Middlebury—so I spent an amazing summer at Middlebury’s Portuguese Summer School and spent my entire junior year abroad in Brazil.

That year was one of the most formative of my life, and I know I will be back in Brazil in the future. During that year abroad I was also able to perform research that led to my senior honors thesis on transitional justice in Brazil. I am interested in pursuing a career in international law or human rights law—instead of going to law school next year, I will be a paralegal in the Latin America division of an international law firm in New York City, performing Portuguese translations and communications with Brazilian clients. This position is a continuation of my work at Middlebury and I hope will ultimately lead me back to Brazil or to a career in law focused on Latin America.

Here we have an example of when the two cultures collide for brief moments: the public art one finds near the local beach towns and the fast moving ônibus (public transport system) that makes its way to those towns from the city.

Photo: Baylie Roth ’09.5

MIDDLE EAST STUDIES

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crossroads of empire and civilization from earliest recorded history, the Middle East continues to fascinate and challenge those who would know it. Always in transition, even the term “Middle East” fails to describe the region, and not simply because of the questions, “Whose ‘middle’?” and “Whose ‘east’?” For as historians and political scientists know full well, both the external and internal borders of the region have shifted continually. More importantly, to understand the Middle East requires recognition of its great diversity. Some aspects of that diversity are well known and tend to define the Middle East for many—Israel and the Arab states, Shi’i and Sunni, to note the most obvious. But this is much too narrow a view, reducing the region to its political and religious conflicts. In fact, one of the greatest sources of diversity derives from what holds most of the region together, the Arabic language.

Though spoken throughout the Middle East, local forms of Arabic do not readily cross borders, challenging those who move within it and to other Arabic speaking countries beyond. Those who meet the challenge, however, are introduced to the region’s rich tapestry of art, music, and literature. Much more than a headline in the news, the Middle East is a window to the world of human experience in all its complexity.

Language study will be the core of most students’ study of the Middle East, with instruction in both Arabic and Modern Hebrew available in Middlebury and at schools abroad. (Most students of Arabic spend all or part of their junior year at our program in Alexandria; students of Modern Hebrew participate in junior-year programs at various universities in Israel.) Many departments and programs at Middlebury offer courses related to the Middle East. In addition to language instruction, faculty in the Arabic program offer courses in literature and culture in translation; the religion department has courses on all of the religions of the region (past and present); courses in the history department survey Islamic history and compare topics across and beyond the Middle East; political issues are explored by courses in the geography and political science departments; the department of history of art and architecture has course on Islamic art. The departments of economics, philosophy, sociology/anthropology, and film and media culture also provide disciplinary approaches to the study of the Middle East.

Middlebury students who have completed the Middle East track in the international studies major have gone on to pursue a variety of career paths. The opportunities are indeed many and varied—journalism and media, banking, non-profits in development, governmental service (State Department, military, intelligence, public diplomacy), and teaching and research through graduate studies.

—Larry Yarbrough Pardon Tillinghast Professor of Religion

JESSAMY LYNN KLAPPER ’09 Becoming an IS Middle East studies major was not originally an easy decision, as the program has gone through quite a few changes since I first arrived here. In fact, I am the first Middlebury student to major in Middle East studies with a concentration in literature, and paving my own way to that was often as difficult as it was rewarding. In the end, however, much of my life at Middlebury (and most likely afterward) has been shaped by the course of these studies, which involved intensive study of the Arabic language and two semesters in Alexandria, Egypt, in addition to “regular” coursework here at Middelbury. Immediately after graduation I will be employed here as Middlebury’s Arabic teaching assistant for one year. After that I am planning to return to the Middle East, whether for work, study, or a combination of the two.

Dome of the Rock (al-Haram al-Sharif), Jerusalem

RUSSIAN & EAST EUROPEAN

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ussia “is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma,” declared Winston Churchill famously in 1939. Compared to 70 years ago, Russia today has become demystified and far more open, accessible and knowable. Renown for her literary giants—from Alexander Pushkin, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Nikolai Gogol to Anton Chekhov and Leo Tolstoy—steeped in imperial history and legacy, an heir to the Soviet empire, and still the largest country in the world, Russia provides a home to some 160 different ethnic groups and indigenous peoples.

While political instability and economic collapse marked the first postSoviet decade, today Russia is back! Following 10 years of growth and rising prosperity, Russia joined the 10 largest economies of the world in 2008. As an energy superpower spanning both Europe and Asia, Russia is also a formidable player on the stage of world politics.

Our Russian and East European studies program was launched more than two decades ago; we have accomplished interdisciplinary faculty who work well together as a team. Our graduates have a record of outstanding achievements, serving in the government and diplomatic service, non-governmental organizations, as teachers and academics, as well as in private enterprise.

Whether you concentrate your disciplinary studies in literature, history, economics, religion, or political science, you will have the opportunity to take some of each, while focusing on Russia and the Russian-speaking world. For your study abroad, you can choose from one of our three programs in Russia, depending on your preferences and needs: between fastpaced Moscow, the capital city; more laid back Yaroslavl, whose historical center has been designated a UNESCO world heritage site; and Irkutsk in Siberia, which is within a short ride of Lake Baikal, one of the natural wonders of the world. If you play your cards right, you could be a fluent Russian speaker by the time the city of Sochi on the Black Sea hosts the Winter Olympics in 2014!

—Michael Kraus Frederick C. Dirks Professor of Political Science

N STUDIES

ALEXANDRA WIDAS ’08 I began studying Russian my freshman year, largely as an accident. I didn’t dream that my desire to take a language with a different alphabet would send me to Russian Language School and then to Russia for a year: first to Irkutsk, in Siberia, and then to Moscow. While in Moscow, I interned at the Carnegie Center for International Peace, furthering my interest in international relations and foreign policy. My choice of languages also framed my major—international studies with concentrations in political science and Russian. This major allowed me to study abroad for a year while integrating my passion for international political issues. I have just completed my first year of a two-year master’s program at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, focusing on international security issues, and was well-prepared for my graduate work by the language and discipline components of the IS program. I hope to continue to learn new languages and to travel abroad as work permits.

Lake Baikal, Siberia’s blue jewel and the world’s deepest lake (1680 meters deep), is completely surrounded by mountains. With a maximum width of 60 miles, Lake Baikal is about 389 miles in length and contains approximately 20% of the world’s fresh water.

Siberia, Russia

SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES

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amaste! For better or worse, South Asia is in the news. From the runaway success of “Slumdog Millionaire” to India’s growing economic clout to the worsening political crises between India and its immediate neighbors Pakistan and Sri Lanka, South Asia is the focus of an enormous amount of recent—and ongoing—global attention.

There has never been a better time to learn about this diverse and increasingly vital region. China and Japan have long been the major players in Asia, but India has also stepped on to the world stage and it is clear that there is no turning back. Indeed, it is no longer possible to count oneself as truly educated without having learned something about South Asia and its extraordinarily rich culture, history, geography, and current affairs.

South Asia is comprised of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and the Maldives. In addition, Afghanistan and Burma (Myanamar) are often included under the South Asia rubric. India is not only home to over a billion people, but it is also the largest secular democracy on the planet. It has a material history that reaches back almost 4000 years, and it is the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Islam, Christianity, and Zorastrianism, along with many other belief systems, are also widely practiced in the region. The legacy of British colonialism, the traumas and challenges of Indian Independence, and the aftermath of Partition have all left deep marks on the region’s sense of identity. Negotiating the extraordinary legacy of its histories, managing the multiplicities of identities, and coming to terms with modernity and the challenges of globalism are all critical issues in South Asia today.

Beyond this, the South Asian diaspora is widely spread across the planet and is a major force in the visibility and influence of South Asian culture outside of the region. All one has to do is look at the myriad subtitle choices available on a Bollywood film DVD to understand just how far India’s reach extends!

The South Asian studies major provides students with a broad spectrum of courses on the history, politics, philosophy, religion, literature, the arts, popular culture, and development of South Asia. While the South Asian studies major is still relatively young, new courses are being added

all the time and it is an exciting time to be part of this burgeoning area of the curriculum. Moreover, a semester or a year abroad is an essential component of the South Asian studies major, not only for the invaluable cultural experience but also because South Asian languages are not available at Middlebury. We hope that those of you who pursue a South Asian studies major will be active partners in the growth and visibility of South Asian studies at Middlebury College. South Asia certainly promises to be one of the most dynamic and interesting areas of study for global citizens of the 21st century.

Waiting to Bathe at the Ghats.

Pushkar (Rajasthan), India

—Cynthia Packert Professor of History of Art and Architecture

Resident women bathe in the holy river Yamuna.

Vrindavan, India Photos: Nick Atherton

WHY STUDY ABROAD FOR

Jeffrey Cason, Dean of International Programs and Edward C. Knox Professor of International Studies.

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nternational studies majors are one of the few majors at Middlebury who are required to study abroad. They are also the only majors who are strongly encouraged—as official policy—to study abroad for the full academic year.

Despite this encouragement, there are many IS majors who do not study abroad for a full year. They explain their decision to study abroad for only a semester in a variety of ways: they like their courses at Middlebury, they don’t want to be away from their friends for such a long period, and they have many extracurricular activities to participate in.

I would argue that for many students, the idea of being away for a full year, immersed in another culture away from their familiar surroundings, is simply frightening, and students are worried about being away from home for so long. This is not likely to be an official reason—and students might not even admit this fear to themselves—but it does play into their decision making when it comes to study abroad.

One of the most important things for students who are international studies majors is to have a full appreciation for what it is like to drown, for a bit, in another culture. This can be frightening, to be sure, but it is also something that one comes out of, usually quite positively. In my experience, IS majors who study abroad for a single semester do not have a chance to fully commit themselves to the place they are studying. Just as they are getting comfortable in the place they are studying, they have to start their preparations to go home.

Studying abroad for a full year, in contrast, allows for a much greater understanding of the place where one is studying. During the first months of study abroad, one experiences the normal culture shock, the necessary adjustment of expectations, and a struggle with the language, even if one has an impressive linguistic preparation.

A FULL YEAR? Middlebury students have better linguistic preparation for study abroad than students from most other colleges and universities. Even so, they confront many challenges when it comes to really becoming fluent in the language and culture of the place where they are studying. And gaining a real fluency and cultural knowledge in a single semester is almost impossible.

Many students—especially IS majors—are frustrated if they only study abroad for a semester. They realize—often after it’s too late to change their plans—that they should have studied abroad for a full year.

For IS majors, with a bit of planning, it’s quite easy to study abroad for a full year. The IS major was designed, quite consciously, with the idea that students would spend a year of their undergraduate career abroad.

Students are able to fulfill regional requirements for the IS major at any of our schools abroad, and often, they can also fulfill requirements for their disciplinary focus.

In the end, the international studies major is meant to immerse students in a different culture, and there is no better way to immerse oneself than to spend a significant amount of time in an unfamiliar place.

This can be uncomfortable and challenging at times, but it is one of the most worthwhile things that an IS major can do. Indeed, this immersion is the reason that students should choose to be IS majors.

—Jeff Cason

Ferrara, Italy

WHERE IN VERMONT?

Nestled in the Champlain Valley between the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain, Middlebury College is ideally situated in a bucolic setting, merely forty minutes away from Vermont’s largest city, Burlington, and fifteen minutes turns on her full charm and displays her autumn colors. Middlebury, a very walkable downtown with great restaurants and shops, is the perfect balance between urban and rural.

—Martha Baldwin

away from the United States’ smallest city, Vergennes. We are a three hour drive south of Montreal and an hour flight from Boston or New York City. Close to many lakes and mountains Middlebury is also the most beautiful spot in New England when Mother Nature

ADMISSIONS OFFICE The Emma Willard House 131 South Main Street Middlebury,VT 05753 802-443-3000 802-443-2056 (Fax) admissions@middlebury.edu

Photos: Patrick Baldwin

STUDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES Meeker House 46 Porter Field Road Middlebury College Middlebury,VT 05753 802-443-5158 802-443-2065 (Fax) studentfinancialservices@middlebury.edu

For more information, visit www.middlebury.edu

Layout/Graphic Design: Carolann Davis Proof Reader: Charlotte Tate