CISCA's main focus is the enhancing and the strengthening of existing as well as building new teaching capacities which disseminates  and advances knowledge on modern India and South Asia. We offer a wide array of litterature, audio and visual material at AU and of course lectures and workshops with scholars from Denmark and abroad.

The Institute of History and Area Studies (IHO) of Aarhus University (AU) has been awarded an EU-grant (EuropeAid) to establish and finance a Contemporary India Study Centre Aarhus (CISCA) from 15th of December 2009 to 14th of December 2011 coordinating teaching programmes on India and the Indian subcontinent as well as establishing partnerships with Indian universities aimed at facilitating and improving these programmes. It will advance the study of contemporary Indian society, history and language (Hindi) by jointly developing curricula with our partners and establish resources required for high quality teaching and research.

The main focus of the application is the enhancing and strengthening of existing as well as building of new teaching capacities disseminating and advancing knowledge on modern India and South Asia in the form of an annual BA and MA programme that at the same time enables students and teachers / scholars to benefit from a wider network of knowledge. Within the project we would be able to formalize ties with three Indian partner universities and associated institutions, i.e. through long-term memoranda of understanding (MoU) and thus elevate unofficial research ties to level of institutional co-operation.

Activities to commence from December 2009 (selection):

• Extending and restructuring the existing bi-annual BA programme
• Establishing a trainee programme for Hindi teaching
• Faculty exchange programme with Indian partner universities, i.e. visiting professorships and fellowships with a focus on core areas of co-operation / research e.g. “Children, Aging and Health” – also including the development of curricula, co-teaching, workshops, colloquiums etc.
• Improving teaching facilities and establishing a resource centre with a focus on diverse media (e.g. conventional and visual library facilities)

Our joint consortium will include Aarhus Universitet and the following partners:

• University of Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh)
• Sambalpur University (Orissa)
• Sri Venkateshwar College, affiliated to Delhi University (National Capital Delhi)

and associated institutions:

• North-Eastern Hill University (Meghalaya)
• Dept. of Sociology, Delhi University
• IIT Madras (Tamil Nadu).
• CASA Documentation Centre
• Akhra

European Union / India EU Study Centre Programme.

Aarhus University / Department of History and Area Studies.