MKU to start anthropology course
STAFF REPORTER
STAFF REPORTER
MADURAI, MARCH 26, 2019 00:00
‘High time it was started in a culturally and historically significant city’
Madurai Kamaraj University will soon become the first university in Tamil Nadu since independence to offer a masters programme in anthropology.
According to academicians in MKU, the only other university in Tamil Nadu to offer M.A. in Anthropology is University of Madras, where the department was started during the colonial period.
T. Dharmaraj, Professor and Head, Department of Cultural Studies, which will be offering the course, said it was high time an anthropology course was offered by the MKU, which is located in Madurai, a culturally and historically significant city. Though Tamil Nadu had extensive scope and need for anthropological studies, it was unfortunate and ironic that students from the State almost had no opportunity to study the course here. “It is no wonder a majority of the anthropological studies related to Tamil Nadu came from people outside,” he said.
He pointed that even institutions such as the American Institute of Indian Studies had a language centre in Madurai, through which many scholars from abroad came for anthropology-related studies.
With the cultural and historical significance of Madurai and the recent findings in Keezhadi, he said it would be exciting to have MKU offer a course in anthropology. “Moreover, the field of anthropology is now focussing more on multi-species ethnography, which is closer to the concept of ‘ Ainthinai ’ we have in Tamil culture,” he said.
He said that some subjects such as Medical Anthropology would be dealt in collaboration with School of Biological Sciences in the university. The course, to be offered from the coming academic year, would accommodate 20 students. Apart from this, Department of Cultural Studies would also offer a masters course in Cultural Informatics.
Vice-Chancellor M. Krishnan said there would be a high demand for the anthropology course, owing to a range of job opportunities available in the government sector.
“Importantly, students aspiring to crack competitive exams such as the Union Public Service Commission prefer this course,” Mr. Krishnan said.
He added that offering these new courses was in alignment with university’s focus on improving student enrolment.
Madurai Kamaraj University will soon become the first university in Tamil Nadu since independence to offer a masters programme in anthropology.
According to academicians in MKU, the only other university in Tamil Nadu to offer M.A. in Anthropology is University of Madras, where the department was started during the colonial period.
T. Dharmaraj, Professor and Head, Department of Cultural Studies, which will be offering the course, said it was high time an anthropology course was offered by the MKU, which is located in Madurai, a culturally and historically significant city. Though Tamil Nadu had extensive scope and need for anthropological studies, it was unfortunate and ironic that students from the State almost had no opportunity to study the course here. “It is no wonder a majority of the anthropological studies related to Tamil Nadu came from people outside,” he said.
He pointed that even institutions such as the American Institute of Indian Studies had a language centre in Madurai, through which many scholars from abroad came for anthropology-related studies.
With the cultural and historical significance of Madurai and the recent findings in Keezhadi, he said it would be exciting to have MKU offer a course in anthropology. “Moreover, the field of anthropology is now focussing more on multi-species ethnography, which is closer to the concept of ‘ Ainthinai ’ we have in Tamil culture,” he said.
He said that some subjects such as Medical Anthropology would be dealt in collaboration with School of Biological Sciences in the university. The course, to be offered from the coming academic year, would accommodate 20 students. Apart from this, Department of Cultural Studies would also offer a masters course in Cultural Informatics.
Vice-Chancellor M. Krishnan said there would be a high demand for the anthropology course, owing to a range of job opportunities available in the government sector.
“Importantly, students aspiring to crack competitive exams such as the Union Public Service Commission prefer this course,” Mr. Krishnan said.
He added that offering these new courses was in alignment with university’s focus on improving student enrolment.
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