Faculty Travel Report

Name: Huma Ahmed Ghosh and Doreen Mattingly

Faculty/Rank: Asst. Professor and Associate Professor

Department: Women's Studies

College: Arts and Letters

Office phone: X43046

Other phone: 858-538-0348

E mail address: ghosh@mail.sdsu.edu/ mattingl@mail.sdsu.edu

Proposal title: "Creating an exchange program with Women's Studies and Development Center, Delhi University, Delhi, India"

Country visited: India

Institution visited: Delhi University

Dates of travel: Dec.12-Jan.13, 2005

Number of student participants: None

Previous IP proposals submitted and grants awarded
(list titles, countries and dates): 2002 Travel Study Abroad to India, 15 students
2001 Travel Study Abroad to China, 28 students

Have all required reports been submitted? Yes

Other funding for this activity available/applied for: None

Proposal Abstract (75 word maximum):
Funds requested for travel by Huma Ahmed Ghosh and Doreen Mattingly to New Delhi, India, to explore the possibility of an exchange program with Delhi University's Women's Studies and Development Center and the Dept. of Women's Studies at SDSU. This collaboration will result in future exchanges of students and faculty focusing primarily on issues of gender/women's studies. Delhi University has expressed interest in the exchange of faculty and students and the Dept. of Women's Studies is increasingly focusing energy on international exchanges and travel study abroad. This trip will allow face-to-face conversations between faculty members of both institutions to explore the parameters of collaboration.
Summary of activities: During my visit to New Delhi India we met several times with faculty in the Women's Studies and Development Center particularly with Prof. Malashri Lal, the Director of the Center. I also met with Prof. Sharada Nayak, the Executive Director of the United States Education Foundation in New Delhi. After several discussions of possible alternatives for collaboration, we developed a tentative plan for appropriate academic work for SDSU students at Delhi University. What they propose is to design a Winter course during the month of December-January with a specific focus on women/gender issues in India and the U.S.A. This course could also be attended by other students who so desire, allowing for contact between SDSU students and students from India.The course will be taught by professors of the University, feminist activists, and women leaders and one or two SDSU Women's Studies professors. A series of cultural activities and contacts, including visits to NGOs are regularly included in such courses. Our students will have the opportunity to participate in those.
A rough outline of what we are planning follows:

To this end, the academic content will focus on five major themes:
Economics: Women and agriculture, women's self-help groups, micro-credit, women in the professions.

Society and Religion : Status of women in traditional society, education, social reform.

Women and the Law, Women and the family, social problems (dowry, violence against women).

Politics: Constitutional amendments- Panchayati Raj, women in the freedom movement, women's movements; Political activism.

he arts and Media, Literature, the performing arts, portrayal of women in the cinema, the press.

The above broad categories will form the basis of the lectures, seminars and will be supplemented with interviews with prominent women, visits to NGO's and meetings with women's groups. Opportunities will be provided for individual interests. Students will be required to write a paper on their chosen theme, which will be presented and evaluated at the end of the course. Students wanting to accrue credits for the course would need to consult with their own universities. Delhi University will need to give details of evaluation and accreditation.

Responsibilities Of Delhi University

* Arranging for accommodation, travel, tourism in Delhi and other cities

* Arranging for lectures

* Local visits to NGOs etc. in and around New Delhi

* Working Lunches

* Individual guidance, monitoring and evaluation (for projects)

Financial arrangements:

Students will pay US $2500 as fees. Included are the academic costs, board and lodging, local travel, airfare within India and entrance to monuments, cultural events. Not included are the return airfare from the US, and items of a personal nature such as laundry and telephone bills.
Costs per participant have been calculated as follows:

All costs can be adjusted according the length of the stay, student' financial abilities, etc.

Report submitted by:
Huma Ahmed Ghosh and Doreen Mattingly
Department of Women's Studies
San Diego State University