UT Going Global(er)

University of Texas students will soon have the opportunity to learn Hindi and Urdu as part of a Department of Defense initiative that focuses on global security. The National Security Education Program has awarded $700,000 to UT’s South Asia Institute to help implement the program that will “teach languages whose knowledge is considered critical to national security.”

The program kicks off next year, and university officials expect to enroll about 10 students who already have basic Hindi and Urdu skills. Students will spend their third-year studying in India, where they can eavesdrop on evil-doers immerse themselves in the culture they are studying.

[from the Houston Chronicle]

The language program is meant to complement the student's academic major. Courses will concentrate on use of the language in practical situations. Students will enroll in a language class each semester with a focus on religion, gender issues, globalization or other contemporary topics. They'll also take a class in Hindi or Urdu that covers history, business or anthropology, said James Brow, director of the South Asia Institute at UT.

While it is wonderful that UT will be focusing more resources on teaching two of the most widely spoken languages on the planet, it is a little troubling that the reasoning seems to have less to do with keeping up with a global economy or broadening cultural horizons and more to do with national security. Sign of the times, we guess.