Pitt's Asian Studies Center and University Honors College Win $66,000 Fulbright-Hayes Grant for Studies in Mongolia

PITTSBURGH—The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center (ASC) of the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) and the University Honors College (UHC) have been awarded a curriculum development grant for studies in Mongolia by the Fulbright-Hayes Committee of the U. S. Department of Education.

The UHC has enjoyed an expanding range of institutional liaisons in Mongolia through its summer field projects for Pitt undergraduates.

Titled "Contemporary Mongolia," the $66,000 project involves four weeks of research and consultation in Mongolia by post-secondary faculty from around the United States seeking to add Mongolian studies to their undergraduate curricula. The 10 selected faculty participants in "Contemporary Mongolia" will meet with Mongolian academic colleagues in Ulaanbaatar and conduct research throughout Mongolia in a wide range of disciplines to enlarge U. S. undergraduate curricula with Mongolian case studies.

The grant covers all expenses and includes in-country briefing sessions, field trips, and access to library holdings as well as curriculum development sessions conducted by ASC and UHC staff.

"Contemporary Mongolia" encompasses four components: pre-departure preparation consisting of independent study kits and annotated bibliographies created by an ASC bibliographer; a four-week segment of field research and materials acquisition in Mongolia conducted by the American Center for Mongolian Studies, the North American Mongolian Business Council, the UHC, and ASC; an in-country segment of curriculum development to organize and synthesize materials and to conceptualize themes on general issues regarding international studies and globalization; and a phase of curriculum sharing and dissemination in which a Web-based archive of materials and research findings will be created for other scholars interested in adding Mongolian studies to their undergraduate curricula.

The project extends from July 17 through August 14, 2003. Participants will be chosen on a rolling basis through their application to the UHC. Interested applicants should contact Amy Eckhardt at the UHC, at 412-624-6881, or send an e-mail to ave@pitt.edu.

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