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Berkeley Urdu Language Fellowship Program
The Center for South Asia Studies at the University
of California, Berkeley, invites applications for a fellowship program
to study Urdu language at the American Institute for Indian Studies
(AIIS) Urdu program in Lucknow, India. Up to twelve awards will be
made on a competitive basis, and will include tuition, a maintenance
allowance and roundtrip airfare. Program funding is subject to
US Department of Education approval.
Background
For over 30 years, the University of California, Berkeley, has run
an Urdu language program in Lahore, Pakistan. Recent US Department
of State imposed travel warnings have restricted travel to Pakistan.
Because of this, students have not been able to attend BULPIP
(Berkeley Urdu Language Program in Pakistan) for the past
four years. With no immediate sign of change in current conditions,
the Center for South Asia Studies (CSAS) at Berkeley remains committed
to encouraging students to seek out advanced training in Urdu. CSAS
has resolved to change the location of the program until such time
as the travel warning is lifted. Up to twelve students will be funded
annually to study Urdu in Lucknow, India, at the AIIS Urdu program.
Key Dates:
Applications will be availible in February 2008.
Eligibility:
- Graduate students and undergraduate students at the junior or
senior level at institutions of higher learning in the US
- Teachers in area studies
- US citizens or permanent residents of the US
- Applicants must have a minimum of two years, or 240 class hours
of classroom instruction, in Urdu before starting the program
- Applicants who have had one year language training at the time
of application will be considered if they successfully complete
an intensive second-year summer language program before their
enrollment in the program.
- Applicants with a minimum of two years experience in Hindi are
eligible for an award if they familiarize themselves with the
Urdu script prior to entering the program
- All qualified students, regardless of race, sex, color, creed,
age, handicap, sexual orientation or national origin, are welcome
The Program:
The 2007-08 program will begin in September of 2008. Instruction
will be offered at the AIIS Language Center in Lucknow and the program
will be administered in India by AIIS staff. This is an intensive
language program that provides four hours of classroom instruction
five days a week. Classes are small and individual tutorials are
provided. There will be regular assignments outside of class and
there is special emphasis on connecting with the local speech community
and self-management of learning. Participants are encouraged to
identify and prioritize their needs and keep track of their language
development. Participants must take part in all program events,
such as attending films, plays and other cultural activities. They
are also encouraged to stay with local host families. This is not
a research program; participants are expected to devote all their
energies to activities that will increase their competence in all
areas of language skills—speaking, listening, reading and
writing. Participants will have ample opportunity to study their
research-related materials in the target language during personal
tutorials. For more information about AIIS language programs, visit
their web page.
Fellowships:
Fellowships will cover the following expenses:
- $6000 tuition fee
- A maintenance allowance of approximately 16,000 rupees a month
- Roundtrip airfare to New Delhi, India on a US carrier
- Fellows may request up to $500 to support pre-dissertation research
in India upon completion of the language program
Fees:
- All applicants must pay a non-refundable $50 application fee
to cover processing expenses
- Fellowship recipients must pay a program fee of $500 to cover
US administration expenses
For email enquiries, write to us at csas AT berkeley.edu.
Several current BULFP students have blogs:
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