Development, Environment, Societies, and History of South Asia

This two-year degree programme is one of three Master's programmes offered by the South Asia Institute of Heidelberg University, Germany. The classes are taught in English, fostering a dynamic learning environment in small groups comprising students from all over the world, who bring a range of perspectives to the interdisciplinary discussions. Offering a research-oriented approach, the curriculum features a broad range of classes that engage with historical, social, and current political and economic developments and events as well as the geography and environment across South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The objective of the programme is to acquaint students with interdisciplinary paradigms prevalent in the humanities and social sciences, thereby cultivating their capacity for independent work and self-reflexivity. Students tailor their studies by selecting a study focus, and they can further customise their learning path with additional courses, including language acquisition. Students can choose from the following study focuses: Political Science History Anthropology Art History and Visual Culture Development Economics Geography The governments of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka also sponsor guest professorships, which complement and enrich the curriculum by bringing diverse perspectives and current insights from the region. Additionally, open talks by professors, writers, and social and cultural activists are organised throughout the year, offering students valuable opportunities for direct engagement with diverse viewpoints and current debates. For students wishing to learn a South Asian language or further their existing knowledge, the programme offers regular instruction in ten languages: Bengali, Dari, Hindi, Classical Tibetan, Nepali, Pali, Sanskrit, Sinhala, Tamil, and Urdu. The languages are part of in-house minor programmes, which can be flexibly combined with the major.