Iran and Beyond: Strengthening the International Studies and Foreign Language Curriculum in Middle Eastern and Central Eurasian Studies, as the project is called, seeks to enhance three components of international studies: foreign languages, curriculum development and studies abroad.

As part of the project, TCNJ will expand the Arabic language program with additional instruction at the advanced level. The college also will implement a two-year language program in Farsi (Persian) through an internet link with Rutgers University’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies.

The college also will use the grant money to expand the its curriculum in Middle Eastern and Central Eurasian studies. Scholars in Iranian and Central Eurasian studies will lead a series of faculty development workshops over the next two years. Select faculty in the School of Culture and Society, the School of the Arts and Communication, and the School of Business will attend these workshops. Faculty will use the workshops to develop 18 interdisciplinary courses and provide opportunities to expand student awareness and encourage study abroad.

Two study abroad/exchange programs will be developed under the project, one in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, the other in Istanbul, Turkey. Additionally, a special seminar on Central Asia will be offered in the spring of 2010, linked to a student-faculty study tour in May 2010 to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Finally the project will involve an annual campuswide cultural event to broaden awareness and appreciation of the arts and literature of these regions.

The project was designed by Jo-Ann Gross, professor of history and chairwoman of the TCNJ history department, and Deborah Hutton, associate professor of art history. The pair will oversee the two-year project.

The professors said competition for the grant money was fierce and they were honored to receive the funding.

"We are particularly excited about our students having an opportunity to study Persian and the very special opportunity for the student-faculty study tour to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan," said Hutton. "This region of the world is one that its in the news a lot of late, but for the most part our knowledge of it remains fragmentary. This grant gives us the opportunity to develop resources that will, in turn, give our students the opportunity to develop a deep and nuanced knowledge of this important region of the world."