Hispanic Studies in India

February 28, 2011 - 4:00 pm

The presentation will explore the establishment of the first centers of learning/teaching Latin America/Hispanic Studies in the Indian sub-continent. It traces the development of full-fledged Departments offering specialized Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in this field. Dr. Saxena will discuss both the initial and the current challenges in the area of learning foreign languages, especially Spanish, and also briefly delve into the future of this rich language within the Indian context as well as globally. A close look will be given to the data regarding the growth in the number of students as well as centers, and the motivations for the students to specialize in Hispanic studies in India. The future prospects of learning foreign languages and developing cross-cultural professionals will also be discussed.

Rajiv Saxena is Assistant Professor of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Latin American Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has been involved in research and has taught at several prestigious academic institutions including the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), Lady Sri Ram College (LSR), and the University of Delhi. His most recent publications include Perspectivas e innovaciones(2009), La enseñanza de español como lengua extranjera en la India: desarrollo y desafíos (2008), and Simbolismo e imaginería en la poesía peruana contemporánea(2005). In addition to being a founding member of the Spanish Language Resource Center (SLRC) in India, Dr. Saxena is impressively the first and sole recipient of a Fulbright and University Grant Commission (UGC) Major Research Project in this discipline.