Under the umbrella of the Office of International Affairs are Ohio State’s area studies centers, which are charged with advancing knowledge and awareness of international languages, cultures and world regions.

The centers work with departments to identify programmatic needs, sponsor a wide range of academic activities, including lectures, symposia, conferences, and library resources, as well as conduct outreach activities for P-12 students and teachers.

Area Studies Centers are primarily funded through the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI National Resource Center (NRC) and Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships. Ohio State has five Area Studies Centers, three with full FLAS and Title VI funding*:

• Center for African Studies
• Center for Latin American Studies
• Center for Slavic and East European Studies*
• East Asian Studies Center*
• Institute for Chinese Studies
• Institute for Japanese Studies
• Korean Studies Initiative
• Middle East Studies Center*

All of these area studies centers implement quality programming year-round to introduce the Ohio State campus and the community at large to their specific regions of the world. They provide an educational outlet to disseminate knowledge and enable us to immerse ourselves in different cultures. A sampling of the programming each has planned for April includes:

• Center for African Studies – Supported the introduction of three new courses for spring quarter that focus on climate change, infectious disease and African social movements.
  
• Center for Latin American Studies – Spring quarter film series featuring young Latin American film makers: "Hermanas" (Sisters), April 2; "En el pais de no pasa nada (In the Country Where Nothing Happens), April 16; "Agua" (Water), April 30. All films begin at 7:30 p.m. in 180 Hagerty Hall.
  
• Center for Slavic and East European Studies – The 2008 Midwest Slavic Conference on April 17-19 at the Blackwell Hotel and Conference Center.
  
• East Asian Studies Center – East Asian Lecture Series, "The Development of Historical Fiction in Japan," presented by Scott Langton of Austin College, on April 25 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in 115 Mendenhall Lab.
  
• Middle East Studies Center – Ottoman History Lecture Series, "Anti-Americanism in the Arab World: A Brief History," April 16 at noon at the Mershon Center for International Security.

Be sure to visit their web sites and learn more about their activities. 

Dieter Wanner
Interim Associate Provost
Office of International Affairs