This diversity of subject matter is one of the aims of the Center, which believes India has a wealth of knowledge to offer on many subjects — from medicine to education. “The wealth of practical knowledge for health from great seers of ancient India has miraculously escaped the modern education system,” said Dr Jay Glaser, a prominent physician and member of Center’s Board of Governors.
And, many UMass faculty members associated with the Center agree. The Center aims to propagate its knowledge by publishing profusely, and not just in the academic world. It has recently put out books on the Indian Family System and Origins of Indian Civilization along with many others.
Pandit Ramadheen Ramasamooj, a lecturer in Indic Studies programme, recently pioneered his Super-Accelerated Learning Theory (SALT) based on techniques from the American, British, and Indian educational systems, and plans to publish a book on the subject at American Vivekananda Academy in New Hampshire.
“The SALT model of education has potential to transform American and global society beyond imagination,” said Pandit Ramsamooj.
The Center hosts two peer-reviewed journals: the Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management and the Light on Ayurveda Journal. They provide essential scholarship that will help build a solid foundation for learning for future generations.
It also hosts the seminal Uberoi Foundation Workshop on Dharmic Traditions, a training programme for high school and middle school teachers in America on issues related to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.
In the two week-long workshops, teachers were able to speak with panels of experts and participate in interactive lesson planning activities designed to increase their comfort level with teaching these subjects and social studies classes related to them. Teachers described the experience as “one-of-a-kind” and “completely changing the way [they] think about India and Eastern religion.”
Besides, the Center is interested in designing programmes to help an understanding of India, involving indigenous voices in the dialogue. Its role is likely to expand in the coming year as India grows as a major world player.
“Indic Studies has provided additional diversity on our campus, which we believe will have a long term impact on academic dialogue and interactions in America,” said Dr. William Hogan, Dean of College of Arts and Sciences at UMass Dartrmouth.
(More information on the Center for Indic Studies is available at www.umassd.edu/indic)
