South Asia

Penn & South Asia

Penn has a longstanding history in South Asia and strong engagement with India through research and educational programs.

In the late nineteenth century, Penn became the first American university to teach Sanskrit and, at the initiative of renowned Indologist W. Norman Brown, it established the first academic program dedicated to South Asian Studies in 1947. Today, we continue the institution’s legacy of strong engagement, supporting the growing South Asia student presence on campus, enabling increasing numbers of students to pursue study abroad opportunities in the region, and offering financial and strategic support to Penn faculty and scholars to promote sustainable partnerships and the advancement of the study and understanding of India and the region.

Did You Know?

100+

Penn students, on average, participate annually in credit-bearing study abroad programs in South Asia.

Pictured Left

Professor Fayyaz Vellani (seventh from right) of Penn’s Critical Writing Program led a Penn Global Seminar to Mumbai, India in 2022 to explore its vibrant culture through readings, writing, class discussion, and travel. During spring break, students visited Gateway of India, the Prince of Wales Museum, Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Terminus, Malabar Hill, Marine Drive, the National Gallery of Modern Art, and the former Portuguese colony of Goa. This course fulfilled Penn’s writing seminar requirement.

Penn & East Asia

Campus Centers

Centers and departments at Penn prioritizing the study and understanding of India and South Asia.

Center for the Advanced Study of India

The Center for the Advanced Study of India (CASI) was founded in 1992 as the first academic research center in the United States for the study of contemporary India. Today, CASI nurtures a new generation of young scholars of contemporary India by engaging in policy-relevant research, offering unique intership opportunities, and serving as a forum to advance scholarly inquiry and discussion.

University of Pennsylvania Institute for the Advanced Study of India

Established in 1997 as CASI’s counterpart institution in India, UPIASI maintains a strong research program and academic presence, and supports Penn-related initiatives in India such as global immersion programs, student internships and exchanges, and orientations for newly admitted students from India.

South Asia Center

A leader in South Asian language and area studies for more than 70 years, Penn’s South Asia Center coordinates and supports faculty and student research, conferences, curriculum development, outreach, and other activities related to the countries and language of South Asia. South Asia Center is a National Resource Center.

South Asia Studies

The department has trained generations of leaders in the field and remains one of the most distinguished places to study South Asia in the United States. Today the South Asia Studies Department is a close-knit community of interdisciplinary scholars that combines expertise in the languages, literatures, histories, and cultures of South Asia.

In Focus

India Research & Engagement Fund

A fund of the Penn Global Grant Program, the India Research and Engagement Fund provides financial support to Penn faculty and scholars from across the University to build equitable partnerships, advance research and capacity-building initiatives, and generate new knowledge on key issues facing India and the Indian diaspora.

Learn More

Penn & South Asia

Regional Events

Penn and its Schools regularly host conferences that strengthens our regional network and advances academic collaboration, research, and knowledge exchange. 

Penn India Engagement Forum

Hosted by Penn Global, the Penn India Engagement Forum 2023 addressed the issues of India’s recovery and onward development, covering healthcare, education, economic recovery, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

Penn India Tech Forum

Hosted annually by Penn Engineering, the Penn India Technology Innovation Forum offers deep learning opportunities and engaging conversations on trends and technologies impacting our world led by Penn Engineering faculty.

Wharton India Economic Forum

The Wharton India Economic Forum is a student-organized conference with a focus on India’s business landscape, with a goal of facilitating discussions on India’s journey toward becoming a significant player on the global economic stage.