A core faculty of 35 representing more than 25 disciplines focuses their research not only on India, but also on the rim countries of the sub-continent. This range of expertise encourages the linking of the foundational curriculum (in religion, anthropology and social sciences) to applied research and teaching (in agriculture, communication, demography, and nutrition). We sustain various levels of language study, including the regular teaching of Hindi, Bengali, Sinhala and Nepali during the academic year (http://lrc.cornell.edu/asian/courses), and intensive summer language programs in Sinhala, Nepali and Tibetan. The Cornell Abroad Program in Nepal provides a unique opportunity for North American and Nepali students to engage in jointly-supervised field research and language study (http://www.cuabroad.cornell.edu). An extensive library collection of over 290,000 volumes, films and video tapes highlight the program's special expertise in India as well as in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. (http://asia.library.cornell.edu/ac/SouthAsia/)

The South Asia Program at Cornell is doubly distinctive. First, many Cornell faculty members focus their research not only on India, but also on the outlying countries of the sub-continent. Second, Program members are located in diverse Cornell colleges, many concentrating on applied work in Agricultural fields, City & Regional Planning, Art, Communication, and Labor Relations. The Program attracts students engaged in regional history and the social sciences and our students are well known for their research on questions concerning the environment, rural inequality and agrarian change, labor market dynamics, economic liberalization, social movements and questions of governance. Through a weekly seminar series, yearly workshops and cultural events, students, faculty and invited speakers exchange ideas, research experiences and on-going research.