College Schools, Departments & Programs

Central Eurasian Studies

Introduction

The Department of Central Eurasian Studies (CEUS) offers a wide range of courses designed to promote a multi-disciplinary training in the languages, histories, cultures, religions, economies, geopolitics and international relations of one or more Central Eurasian regions of specialization. The Department covers contemporary and historical regions of critical significance, such as Tibet, Xinjiang, the Central Asian Muslim republics, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Hungary and the Baltics. Faculty in the Department conduct research and teach classes on such diverse topics as Islam and Buddhism, the Silk Road, the Mongol Conquest, the Dalai Lamas, Iranian Kings and Prophets, Empire and Ethnicity in the Soviet Union and Nation–Building in the Post-Soviet world.

Students may count most of the department's courses toward such specific requirements of the College's bachelor's degree as Breadth of Inquiry credit in arts and humanities or social and historical studies, culture studies, and foreign language. The major is open to and attracts students from all disciplines and schools.

Two- and three-year sequences are offered in the following languages: Estonian, Finnish, Hungarian, Mongolian, Persian, Tibetan, Turkish, Uyghur, and Uzbek. Students should contact the department for information about additional offerings, such as Kazakh, Kurdish, Kyrgyz and Pashto, as well as summer language opportunities.

The new School of Global and International Studies (SGIS) prepares students for opportunities in any international field they choose, whether they plan to work in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors. The School has a dual focus that sets it apart. On the one hand, it teaches the languages and histories of strategically important regions of the world. IU has long been a leading university for studying the cultures of communities around the world, and SGIS seeks to maintain and build upon this proud tradition. At the same time, SGIS also examines crucial contemporary issues that transcend borders. Areas of focus include security, trade and development, global governance, and human rights. SGIS prioritizes a pragmatic, nonpartisan understanding of some of the most challenging issues of our times. Perhaps no one exemplifies the approach and impact that SGIS hopes that its alumni will have better than two of its distinguished faculty members, former Representative Lee Hamilton and former Senator Richard Lugar.

SGIS provides its students with unmatched opportunities.  Students have the opportunity to study in a state-of-the-art building at the center of campus. The ratio of faculty to undergraduate majors is seven-to-one, and virtually all SGIS faculty teach undergraduates. Over 60 percent of SGIS students study abroad, for which SGIS offers a wide range of scholarships. Finally, SGIS has top-notch academic and career advisors who develop close relationships with the students.

Majors, Minors, and Programs
Contact Information

Central Eurasian Studies Department
Indiana University
GA 3024A (GISB East)
355 North Jordan Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405-1105

(812) 855-2029
ceusug [at] indiana [dot] edu

http://www.indiana.edu/~ceus/