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Summer in South Asia - CSAS Undergraduate Fellows Program

The Center for South Asian Studies offers a special opportunity to chart your own course in India…

Thanks to a generous donation to the Center for South Asian Studies, undergraduate students at UM have an opportunity to design and carry out their own fellowship programs in India during the summer. This fellowship is intended for non-graduating students who have not already spent significant amounts of time in India. The program is designed to be flexible: you tell us what you want to study, design a program to accomplish your goals, and we will fund the best proposals to cover most of your costs. As you devise your proposal, the Center for South Asian Studies can assist you in connecting with organizations based in India as well as contacting and working with faculty members affiliated with CSAS.

We strongly encourage students to work with existing institutions, agencies, or organizations, but working independently may also be acceptable. If you don’t already have a partner organization in mind our staff can help you research organizations in India that might be good matches for your interests.

Students should work with CSAS faculty associates while developing their proposals. You will reach your project goals more effectively by learning from their expertise and ideas. Proposals will be accepted from individuals or from groups of no more than two students. The Center for South Asian Studies will select approximately six applicants and provide each with funding of up to $3000 to cover travel and expenses in India.

The application process has four stages

• Stage 1: A Preliminary Application is due in early January. You will need to first download the application PDF and save a copy to your computer. The new copy should have your own name as its title. Second, use Adobe Acrobat (the Adobe Reader won't work because it won't allow you to save changes) to open that copy. Third, fill it out and save it again. And finally, e-mail it to CSAS at sreyashi@umich.edu. Please double check that the completed PDF has been properly saved before sending it.

• Stage 2: Students are notified of first round decisions by mid-January

• Stage 3: Successful first round applicants meet with CSAS to refine their ideas in early February

• Stage 4: Final application is due in mid-February

Examples of Possible Programs

• Carry out an internship in business, social work, government, or education.

• Work with an NGO on women's issues, diversity, deforestation, cultural or religious projects, AIDS, urbanization, or similar issues. For example, students interested in medicine might do an internship at a hospital or intern in a public health program.

• Do preliminary work for an honor's thesis.

• Seek out an apprenticeship that complements your academic work. For instance, an art or art history student might apprentice with a master Indian artist or artisan.

Summary of Important Dates

January 9, 2009 Initial application due

January 16, 2009 Notification of Stage I results

February 6, 2009 Completion of individual meetings with Center staff

February 13, 2009          Final Application and all supplemental materials
                                       (questionnaire, recommendations, language evaluations,
                                       invitation letters, and transcripts) due

March 13, 2009 Notification of final application decisions

March 18, 2009 Accepted and waitlisted participants should pick up program
information packets at CSAS office

March 27, 2009 Accepted participants notify CSAS of acceptance; health forms,
parental notification forms to be filled out and returned

March 31, 2009 Orientation for accepted participants at CSAS office for program planning

For more information contact CSAS

Sreyashi Dey, Program Coordinator
Telephone: 734-615-4059
Center for South Asian Studies
E-mail: sreyashi@umich.edu

The 2008 Summer in South Asia Program

CSAS sent six undergraduates to India this past summer to conduct self-designed research projects as part of our Undergraduate Fellowship Program. Our goal is to introduce new students to South Asia and give them an opportunity to research and work in the South Asia context. Check out what our fellows did as they embarked on this journey.

2008 Summer in South Asia Student Blogs

Other U-M Study Abroad Programs and Funding Opportunities

International Institute International Funding Opportunities

GoGlobal! Center for Global Opportunities in Kinesiology

Office of International Programs

The University of Michigan's Office of International Programs (OIP), a department within LS&A, administers over 80 programs, in 41 countries on 6 continents. One of their mainstay programs is held in Varanasi and Madurai. The OIP program in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin's College Year in India program offers students the opportunity to study in either Madurai or Varanasi, India - each site highlighting India's ethnic, religious, and linguistic diversity. Both sites feature intensive language study and allow students to learn about their surroundings firsthand by completing an in-depth, year-long fieldwork project.