The Global: Implications for Research and The Curriculum
University-wide symposium features Professor Arjun Appadurai '70 and Brandeis faculty
On April 8 and 9, 2008, the Office of Global Affairs hosted a symposium designed to stimulate discussion among the Brandeis community about implications of “the global” -- the forces sometimes called “globalization” -- on all aspects of university life. The two-day series of events covered a range of topics on these implications, from collaborative research to new curricular methods, from community engagement to the very mission and purpose of the U.S. research university.
The symposium built upon the multi-dimensional work of Arjun Appadurai ’70, a renowned anthropologist and Brandeis alumnus currently teaching at the New School for Social Research in New York City. Prof. Appadurai is a former Wien International Scholar at Brandeis, part of a distinguished group of international student leaders who for 50 years have enriched the university with global perspectives.
Over 75 faculty, students, and staff participated in the events, and many faculty joined Appadurai in helping lead individual sessions. The participants were drawn from across the university, including the International Business School and Heller School for Social Policy and Management.
Use the links at the right to access more information about the two-day symposium.
Symposium Report
Download a brief review of the symposium discussion (pdf).
Learn more about Arjun Appadurai '70
Visit Arjun's web site for biography, publications, and current projects.
Access symposium resources and links
Selected articles, books, web sites, and video
The Globalization of the American University (video of keynote talk)
Arjun Appadurai, keynote speaker

“The Right to Research”, Globalisation, Societies and Education
Arjun Appadurai
Volume 4, Issue 2, July 2006, pages 167- 177
Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization
Arjun Appadurai
University of Minnesota Press, 1996
CERN/High Energy Physics Group/Prof. Jim Bensinger
Prof. Angela Gutchess
Globalization and Autonomy Institute at McMaster University
Prof. Caren Irr, invited scholar
Prof. Catherine Mann
Prof. Rick Parmentier
A Community Engaged Education
Prof. Mark Auslander
“Brandeis professor campaigns to increase literacy in Lesotho,” The Brandeis Hoot
October 12, 2007
Feature on Prof. Jane Hale’s Family Literacy Lesotho program
“Darfur Survivors remember dead, inspire local activism,” Boston Herald
June 22, 2008
Feature on SID student Panther Alier

“Interactions speak louder than words,” Financial Times
July 2, 2007
Feature on Prof. Andrew Molinsky’s “Managing Across Cultures” course
Prof. Andrew Molinsky home page
Herzfeld research group
Prof. Robert Lange
"Social Development As Sustainable Global Justice." Berkshire Encyclopedia of Social Development. Ed. Brij Mohan., 2009 (forthcoming)
Prof. David Gil
Web sites for community organizations and community-engaged learning programs
PUKAR (Partners for Urban Knowledge, Action, and Research)
NGO founded by Arjun Appadurai
Community Engaged Learning
Community Engaged Learning (CEL) initiatives at Brandeis are devoted to expanding the circle of participation in the educational process, drawing students, faculty, staff and community members into conversations about ideas, citizenship, and social responsibility.
Cultural Production Program
The new interdisciplinary M.A. program in Cultural Production at Brandeis University offers rigorous interdisciplinary study of the production, performance, and preservation of cultural forms and practices, leading to the degree of Master of Arts.
Southern Sudan Cultural Documentation Center
The Southern Sudan Cultural Documentation Center, a collaboration of Brandeis University and the Sudanese Education Fund, is devoted to documenting, archiving, and preserving the varied forms of cultural production created by the refugee and resettlement community from the southern Sudan.

Sustainable International Development Program
The Programs in Sustainable International Development form a community of concerned students and faculty drawn from around the world. Our mission is to help build a new generation of development planners and policy makers in the U.S. and abroad for whom a global society free of poverty, preventable disease, and environmental degradation is achievable.
Global working groups at Brandeis
Global Studies Working Group
Gender Working Group/Congo in our Minds
Gender and International Development Working Group
Millennium Development Goals Working Group
Additional resources and discussion
Global Higher Education Resources
Symposium program
THE GLOBAL: IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND THE CURRICULUM
On April 8 and 9, the Office of Global Affairs will host a symposium, "The Global: Implications for Research and the Curriculum," intended as a forum for faculty to to consider, in a reflective and collaborative fashion, the complexities of their work as scholars and educators in light of major global trends. The event features guest Arjun Appadurai '70, a Brandeis alum and anthropologist.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
"The Globalization of the American University"
5:00 p.m., April 8, 2008
Rapaporte Treasure Hall, Goldfarb
Prof. Arjun Appadurai '70, The New School
Reception immediately following
SESSION 1
"The Global": Implications for Research
9:00 - 11:00 a.m., April 9, 2008
Alumni Lounge, Usdan
Discussants:
Arjun Appadurai, The New School
Jim Bensinger, Physics
Angela Gutchess, Psychology
Caren Irr, English & American Lit.
Catherine Mann, IBS/Economics
Rick Parmentier, Anthropology/IGS
Scholarly research from a variety of disciplines has deepened our understanding of institutions, ideas, and forces that cross national boundaries. In turn, new facets of “the global” (and related concepts of the international, the transnational, and the intercultural) have forced scholars to rethink fundamental assumptions, and to chart new lines of theory and inquiry. This session featured brief accounts of current research undertaken by Professor Appadurai and selected Brandeis faculty members.
LUNCH DISCUSSION
"Community-Based Engagement and Research"
12:00 - 1:30 p.m., April 9, 2008
Alumni Lounge, Usdan
Discussants:
Arjun Appadurai, The New School
Panther Alier, MA candidate, SID program, Heller
Mark Auslander, Cultural Production/Anthropology
Jane Hale, Romance Studies
During an informal lunch, Professor Appadurai and faculty, students and staff at Brandeis talked about their work in community-based research and learning, including projects from Africa to India to Waltham. As an extension of his work as a scholar, Professor Appadurai has been a principal in founding a non-governmental organization called PUKAR [Partners for Urban Knowledge, Action and Research] in Mumbai, India. He argues for a fresh approach that he calls “documentation as intervention” - developing mutual links between community, research, and activism. The discussion centered on similar projects at Brandeis and future possibilities for faculty, student, and community interaction.
SESSION 2
"The Global": Implications for the Curriculum
2:00 - 3:30 p.m., April 9, 2008
Shapiro Campus Center Room 313
Discussants:
Arjun Appadurai, The New School
David Gil, Heller
Judith Herzfield, Chemistry
Bob Lange, Physics/Education/Coex
Andrew Molinsky, IBS/Psychology
What do students need to know, and what skills do they need, to lead productive, fulfilling lives in the era of globalization? Does the current Brandeis undergraduate curriculum meet those needs? Is there an inherent conflict between knowledge, values, and skills, given the time constraints of an undergraduate career? Do we wish to ensure that all students acquire greater global knowledge and skills, or is it sufficient that we provide opportunities for those students who want broader and deeper study in relevant fields? Finally, are there other vehicles (for instance, in the co-curriculum through structured experiences) for students to gain an enduring international/intercultural perspective in all disciplines and professions? Professor Appadurai offered some initial thoughts, drawing on his experience at several institutions of higher education; selected Brandeis faculty also presented brief remarks about what we currently offer, and where we might go.
The Office of Global Affairs
The Office of Global Affairs (OGA) was created in 2007 to enhance collaboration between the Brandeis community and support international activities, programs, research and service. The OGA will build connections between the University's many ongoing activities in the international arena, strengthen the public profile of our global programs, identify new resources for international projects, and develop a strategic vision for "Global Brandeis."