American Institute of Indian Studies

American Institute of Indian Studies. The American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS) is a non-profit organization that promotes Indology and Indian studies in the United States. It was established in 1961 with the support of the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and National Endowment for the Humanities. The AIIS is affiliated with the Association for Asian Studies, American Oriental Society, and International Institute of Indian Studies.

● History

The American Institute of Indian Studies was founded by a group of scholars, including W. Norman Brown, Murray Emeneau, and Ainslie Embree, who were instrumental in promoting Indian studies in the United States. The AIIS has its roots in the American Council of Learned Societies and the Social Science Research Council, which provided initial funding for the organization. Over the years, the AIIS has received support from the National Science Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Department of Education. The AIIS has also collaborated with the Indian Council of Historical Research, Indian Council of Social Science Research, and the Indian National Science Academy.

● Organization

The American Institute of Indian Studies is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with offices in New Delhi and Pune, India. The organization is governed by a board of trustees, which includes scholars from the University of Chicago, Harvard University, and the University of California, Berkeley. The AIIS has a membership of over 1,000 scholars, including Nicholas Dirks, Sheldon Pollock, and Dipesh Chakrabarty. The organization is also affiliated with the American Anthropological Association, Linguistic Society of America, and the Association for Asian Studies.

● Research Centers

The American Institute of Indian Studies has established several research centers in India, including the Center for Art and Archaeology in Rajasthan, the Center for Indian Language and Society in Pune, India, and the Center for the Study of Indian Religions in Varanasi. These centers provide facilities for scholars to conduct research in India and offer programs in Hindi language and Indian culture. The AIIS has also collaborated with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Indian Institute of Science, and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

● Programs and Activities

The American Institute of Indian Studies offers a range of programs and activities, including language training in Hindi, Urdu, and other Indian languages. The organization also provides fellowships and grants for scholars to conduct research in India. The AIIS has organized several conferences and workshops, including the Conference on Indian History and Culture and the Workshop on Indian Languages and Linguistics. The organization has also published several books and journals, including the Journal of Indian History and Culture and the Indian Journal of Linguistics.

● Fellowships and Grants

The American Institute of Indian Studies offers several fellowships and grants for scholars to conduct research in India. These include the Junior Research Fellowship, the Senior Research Fellowship, and the Language Training Fellowship. The AIIS has also established the W. Norman Brown Fellowship in honor of its founder. The organization has provided funding for scholars to conduct research at the Indian National Archives, National Museum, New Delhi, and the Indian Institute of Advanced Study.

● Notable Alumni and Scholars

The American Institute of Indian Studies has a long list of notable alumni and scholars, including Romila Thapar, Irfan Habib, and Sanjay Subrahmanyam. Other notable scholars associated with the AIIS include Stanley Wolpert, Barbara Metcalf, and Thomas Trautmann. The organization has also honored several scholars with the Distinguished Service Award, including W. Norman Brown, Murray Emeneau, and Ainslie Embree. The AIIS has also collaborated with the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales. Category:Indian studies