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Fifteen students from Toyama College of Foreign Languages visited the Duke campus as part of the Durham/Toyama sister cities initiatives. They joined twenty Duke students enrolled in various levels of Japanese language courses to explore campus, including a visit to the Durham-Toyama Sister Cities Pavilion in the Duke Gardens. During the visit, Toyama students participated in a Japanese language class and enthusiastically exchanged insights about diverse cultures. The Toyama students’ trip to Durham had been suspended… read more about Students from Toyama College of Foreign Languages Visit Duke for Cultural Exchange with Japanese Language Students »

Edith London, In Flight, 1995. Mixed media, 13 x 16 inches (33 x 40.6 cm). Collection of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. Museum purchase and partial gift of Lee Hansley Gallery; 1997.25.1. Courtesy Nasher Museum of Art “It’s fulfilling to have a collaborative public outcome born from a course,” Saskia Ziolkowski, associate professor in Romance Studies, admits. She’s referencing Mapping Jewish Modernism, an exhibit currently on view through August at the Rubenstein… read more about Charting the Landscape of Jewish Modernism »

Erdağ Göknar is well-versed when it comes to Turkish novelist and academic Orhan Pamuk. He’s worked with him for decades, written a book that serves as the first critical study of his novels and translated the Nobel laureate’s work. “As a Fulbright fellow in the mid 1990s, I first heard Orhan Pamuk give a talk on Turkish modernism at a bookstore in Istanbul,” Göknar recalls. “I was studying literature but hadn’t fully realized the ways in which it intersects with and informs Turkish identity-formation, history… read more about Conversations with a Nobel Laureate »

Mac Hester, a Chinese major student (Class of 2024) at AMES, presented his research project titled ‘Scope Assignment in Quantifier-Negation Sentences in Early Korean-Chinese Bilinguals’ Grammars’ at the 2024 Linguistic Society of America (LSA) Annual Meeting held in New York City. About the Linguistic Society of America (LSA) The LSA Annual Meeting, held the first week of every January in a major U.S. city, is the premier gathering of linguistics professionals and students from throughout the profession… read more about Chinese Major Student Presented a Research Project in a National Linguistics Conference »

Rekha Sethi is a Professor and former Vice Principal at Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi. She has authored five books, edited eight and translated a poetry collection from English to Hindi. She co-organized a web-lecture series on ‘Women Writings in India’ with Dr. Fauzia Farooqui, South Asian Studies Program, Princeton University and chaired a three-lecture series on ‘Indian Literature of the Marginalized Society’ at Duke University, USA. She has also published extensively in… read more about "What would you like to change from your childhood?" »

Whether it be attending yoga and Indian cooking classes, singing Hindi songs, or watching Hindi films, Kusumji’s Hindi 101 class is filled with numerous opportunities for us to immerse in Indian culture while applying our Hindi language skills. A major part of this immersive cultural experience is the service-learning component of the course—our virtual meeting with the Delhi Young Artists Forum (DYAF). The DYAF is an NGO that empowers young women in Delhi through art and education. The DYAF members who we met were… read more about Cultivating Cultural Connection via the Hindi Language: Our Conversations with the Delhi Young Artists Forum »

Yosemite National Park is located in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountain range, and is 3.5 hours from San Francisco and roughly the size of the state of Rhode Island. Established on October 1, 1890, the park is home to vast glaciated landscapes, rare sequoia trees, and unique flora and fauna. Over 3 million people from all over the world visit Yosemite each year. I first remember visiting Yosemite when I was in 8th grade for a weeklong field trip. I was so inspired by its beauty that I knew I had to come back! I returned… read more about The Importance of Anuvad: Translating Yosemite National Park’s Brochure into Hindi »

This year was the second time I got to experience a Hindi class meeting with the Delhi Young Artists Forum. I find this event to be oddly nerve-wracking. There is something especially frightening about having my fledgling Hindi exposed to native speakers. Coupled with this nervousness, there is also a level of excitement because I know it is the best way to improve my Hindi. Unfortunately, this year I missed the first half hour of our NGO meeting, but I was interested to hear that the members of DYAF were shocked, and a bit… read more about Learning from Native Language Speakers »

When Dr. Kusum Knapcyzk told us we would be hosting a guest lecturer for one week from New Delhi, I did not know what to expect regarding content and structure. I was blown away by the exposure to culture and knowledge of Dr. Rekha Sethi. Sethi is a post-independence Hindi poetry and fiction professor at Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi. She is also a well-respected author with experience in the advertising industry, allowing her to develop a deep understanding of modern Indian culture. HINDI 203 is the… read more about A New Perspective Towards Language and Culture: Dr. Rekha Sethi Visits HINDI 203 at Duke »

A few weeks ago, my elementary Hindi class had the privilege of welcoming Dr. Rekha Sethi, a professor at Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi. With over two decades of experience in teaching Hindi Language, Literature, and Media Studies, her visit brought a new perspective to our coursework. In class we had begun learning about masculine and feminine nouns and we were excited to put the totality of our Hindi knowledge to use in the form of a poem. As a class we were thrilled for the opportunity to learn from… read more about Crafting Language and Culture: A Hindi Poetry Workshop with Dr. Rekha Sethi »

Recently, Kusum Ji’s Hindi students got the opportunity to participate in a cooking class, in which we learned to make lemon rice and chole. But of course, we derived much more than just culinary skills from cooking class. Experiences like this are pertinent to understanding the larger cultural context that surrounds a language. Cooking class is always a fan favorite, and this semester was no exception. Priya Amresh joined us this time to direct the lemon rice operation. She is also Duke University… read more about Spicing Up Hindi Class: A Culinary Journey through Lemon Rice and Chole »

Dr. Rekha Sethi is not a typical guest lecturer. She traveled all the way from New Delhi to spend a week sharing her unique insight and guiding students through the material of AMES 191: Indian Literature of Marginalized Society. In India, she teaches at Indraprastha College for Women which is a constituent of the University of Delhi. She is a professor focusing on post-independence Hindi poetry and fiction and also an accomplished author. She worked with Dr. Kusum Knapcyzk to put together a very instructive and enjoyable… read more about Guest Speaker Dr. Rekha Sethi Brings Expertise to AMES at Duke »

Layla Arty, a Japanese major student (Class of 2024) at AMES, presented her research project titled ‘Acquisition of the English Plural Form by Native Japanese Speakers’ at the 23rd International Conference of the Japan Second Language Association (J-SLA 2023), which was hosted by Gakushuin University in Tokyo, Japan. You can watch Layla's presentation by following this link or clicking below: read more about Japanese Major Presents Research Project at International Conference in Japan »

Prof. Kusum has a way of implementing culture into her classes solely for the benefit of us students. Even within the first couple months of being in Hindi class, we have had the chance to learn songs, partake in celebrations, and learn small things about the culture that are fascinating.  On Friday the 29th, Hindi class had the pleasure of taking a "field trip" to the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. We participated in a yoga class led by Subhash Mittal ji (Yoga with Subhash) out of Cary, NC. Subhas ji taught our class and the… read more about Balancing Wellness: Yoga Showcase and Sattvik Food Discourse »

Asian & Middle Eastern Studies Department Chair and Associate Professor Shai Ginsburg gave the following remarks on Oct. 9 at an on-campus vigil for the victims of the attack on Israel: “I have few, all too few words to say to comfort you today. We are often missing words precisely when we need them the most. "It is difficult, very difficult, perhaps even impossible, to put our emotions into words at such moments. As the prophet Amos said in the face of war, destruction, death, and desolation: "… read more about Ginsburg gives remarks at vigil for victims in Israel »

This was a story too remarkable to stay in the classroom and academic journals. For nearly two decades, Duke professor Mbaye Lo worked to bring attention to the life and writings of Omar ibn Said, a 19th century West African Muslim scholar enslaved and brought to North Carolina, where he astonished people with his knowledge even as they kept him enslaved and used his life to promote the “benefits” of slavery. Lo and UNC-Chapel Hill professor Carl Ernst started publishing online translations of Said’s Arabic writings and… read more about Returning a Voice to an Enslaved Muslim Scholar »

Summer is a great time to catch up on reading. Books from more than a dozen Duke authors offer insight on a range of topics – from gratitude for everyday life to the antislavery writings of Henry David Thoreau. Below is a roundup of some of the most recently published and soon-to-be-out titles. Many of the books, including new editions of previous titles, can be found on the “Duke Authors” display shelves near the circulation desk in Perkins Library. Some are available as e-books for quick download. Most can also be… read more about Hot Off the Press: Summer Reading From Duke Authors »

The AMES department Japanese program at Duke successfully hosted the 38th  Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Japanese Teachers (SEATJ) on Duke's East Campus. The annual conference took place on May 20, 2023 and featured keynote speaker Dr. Naoko Taguchi from Northern Arizona University. About SEATJ The Southeastern Association of Teachers of Japanese was organized in 1986 at the Japan Center of North Carolina; since then it has been expanded to become one of the largest and… read more about Southeastern Association of Teachers of Japanese (SEATJ) Conference 2023 »

Families and friends gathered on a Friday evening to watch students showcase their experiences and adventures learning Hindi. In each of the different Hindi classes, Prof. Kusum Ji and Prof. Satti Ji worked with their students to develop ideas regarding the performances. The event began with a skit from the students in Hindi 102, who did their skits on a love story. When the students in our Hindi class started their performances, the atmosphere in the room was electrifying. The audience was engaged from the very beginning… read more about Annual Hindi Festival: Performances and Food »

Senior Adam Israelevitz is the first Duke University student to be selected for the James C. Gaither Junior Fellowship at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Each year, the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program offers approximately 14 one-year fellowships to qualified graduating seniors and individuals who have graduated during the past academic year. Gaither Junior Fellows work as research assistants to Carnegie’s senior scholars. A political science major who is minoring in Arabic with a certificate in… read more about Senior First Duke Recipient of Gaither Fellowship »

In Kusum Ji’s Hindi classes, learning goes far beyond the expected scope of fluency in the language itself. Large portions of every semester are dedicated to significant exposure to other aspects of Indian culture, from studying Bollywood movies to writing romantic haikus; but a dive into Indian customs would be severely lacking if we didn’t explore the expansive role of cooking and food in Indian society. In Hindi 102’s most recent cooking class, we learned to make Moong dal dosa and mango lassi.… read more about Discovering Dosa: Bringing Hindi Class to the Kitchen »