Area studies were first offered as a structured academic discipline in European universities to train the officials going to colonies to work. In America, it was promoted after the Second World War to foster American government’s agendas in other parts of the world. However, today, it has evolved on its own into a serious academic discipline, independent of the state and is helping many governments around the world in formulating a sound foreign policy, in addition to helping develop a better understanding of regional and international affairs among the general public as many students of area studies either join the civil service or become teachers and journalists. Sometimes, it is the area studies scholars the state relies on to enhance its image in a particular country or a region.
For example, America sent Edwin O Reischauer, who founded the Japanese studies department at Harvard, as its ambassador to Japan during the 60s to create a positive image of America among the Japanese people. If Gen Douglas MacArthur was sent as the American representative following Japan’s surrender to show a stern image of America, Reischauer was sent there to show the approachable and kind image of America, which helped in making the Japanese realize that America respected their culture and sensitivities. Similarly, after America normalized its relations with China in the early 1970s, another Harvard professor, John K Fairbank who founded the Chinese studies department there, was on and off sought by various administrations for advice on their dealings with China.
The importance of area studies in formulating a sound foreign policy is highlighted by Robert S McNamara, the US defense secretary (1961-1968) during most of the Vietnam War period (1961-1975) in his memoir, In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam (1995). Among other things, he blames the lack of consultations with the East and South East Asian/Vietnamese studies scholars for the American misadventure in Vietnam. Since almost all East/SE Asian scholars were branded communists during the mass hysteria of the McCarthy era (early 1950s), they were keeping a low profile to avoid the fate of a brilliant scholar of China and Central Asia, Owen Lattimore, whose academic career came to an abrupt end when he was blamed for the success of Chinese revolution in 1949 or as it is popularly known “the loss of China”. Those still not branded communists did not dare come forward to offer their sincere views, and the US government, in McNamara’s word “profoundly ignorant of the history, culture, and politics of the people in the area” mistook the Vietnamese nationalist movement with the so-called global communist conspiracy, and got embroiled there just to face a humiliating defeat
Realizing the importance of area studies, not only the West, but also many of our South Asian neighbors have invested in establishing and strengthening area studies departments in their universities. The strength of area studies is that it teaches the students that everything about their chosen country/region is important and has to be studied to develop a thorough understanding of the events and issues pertaining to it. As one scholar puts it: “There is no reason why we shouldn’t study child rearing, the patterns of socialization, the degree of confrontation of economic power, the identification of personality types and traits, family life patterns, small groups and private associations, religious attitudes and so on. All of these … may have a relevance to politics. In a number of cases― they are the ones that count―the relevance is all too clear. We have to go deeper into contextual factors in order to find an explanation for a manifest political phenomenon.” (Roy C. Macridis, “Comparative Analysis: The Search for Focus” in Bernard E. Brown, ed. Comparative Politics: Notes and Readings).
We cannot expect TU to come up with various area studies departments found in universities around the world such as East Asian, African, Russian and American overnight, but it should seriously start the process to establish two departments immediately―Chinese and Indian Studies. So far, our leaders and intellectuals have taken both our neighbors India and China for granted which is reflected in our foreign policy and in our scholarship on these countries. Our similarities with India and differences with China seem the likely reason for not taking either of them seriously.
Just because India has many similarities with us does not necessarily mean that many of us understand the real India. Watching Bollywood movies and Indian television channels or spending some time in India for either work, studies or other purposes do not automatically make us scholars and experts on India. Notwithstanding our many similarities, there are also many differences between us that we ought to understand to further strengthen our friendly ties with it. Studying those differences will help us understand the various factors such as religious, cultural, historical, economic and political that influence India’s policy toward Nepal, and at the same time make us aware of the changes needed in our policy toward India. India already has many Nepal scholars―thanks to the government’s investment in academia―who write on national broadsheets and academic journals when something major happens in Nepal, and also advise the government on its Nepal policy. Indian scholars have written volumes on Nepali art, history, society, politics etc, and our writers when writing books on Nepal, proudly quote from them. However, it is quite saddening to note that despite being surrounded by India on three sides, we lack people who can write persuasively on Indian issues and can advise the government on its dealings with India.
Similarly, at a time when the whole world is studying China and how its rise will affect global politics and economy, it’s a pity that it is completely ignored in our academia. With the exception of the language, that too to produce manpower needed in tourism and trade sectors, we have not cared much about understanding its history, culture and politics― factors that shape the Chinese worldview. Despite being our northern neighbor with whom we have always had good relations, many college level students in Nepal cannot name even five Chinese cities! This is certainly not something we can be proud of. The lack of our understanding of China is perhaps one of the reasons that we have not been able to take advantage of its growing economy. However, on the other hand, China has many Nepal scholars; Nepali language is offered as a major in some of its universities, and one can find many books on Nepal/Nepali society written in Chinese in bookstores there. In our bookstores, we hardly find anything worth reading in Nepali on China.
Today, diplomacy and international relations are going through profound changes. From the government-centric approach of the past, they are now becoming people-centric. Concepts and ideas such as people-to-people diplomacy and track II diplomacy are becoming quite popular these days. For these ideas to succeed, it is imperative that we have a good understanding of each other and area studies can play an important role in bringing people of different countries together. It can also help us understand our own country better, learn from the successes and failures of others and to respect the differences and celebrate the similarities that exist between the countries. Since, for us, India and China are quite important, we have to have a good understanding of these two countries to maximize our national interests and to build a better understanding at the people-to-people level.
Of course, it is impossible to understand either of these two giants just by studying for an academic degree lasting two or three years, but it provides the students with the right tools to approach the issues pertaining to these two countries. Therefore, TU should work toward establishing Indian and Chinese studies departments, and also make it a goal to teach about all regions of the world in near future. Certainly, establishing such departments will be costly, and will require funding from the government. The government should provide it with all help it needs in setting up these departments because in the long run, it’s going to benefit the country by providing it with the manpower needed for the 21st century’s globalized world—our own Reichaeurs and Fairbanks who would contribute to enhancing Nepal ‘s image in the world.
Writer, a Republica staff, holds a BA degree in Chinese Studies & MA in International Relations
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