Students explore diversity in Muslim world through U of T's International Course Module in Indonesia

noreen.rasbach — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 16:24:06 +0000

noreen.rasbach Thu, 03/15/2018 - 12:24

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Kana Shishikura, a fourth-year Contemporary Asian Studies student, meets the pupils of Madrasah Mu'allimin Manba'ul Huda in Bandung, Indonesia (photo by Katrina Li)

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Contemporary Asian Studies

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Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate students who take Dylan Clark’s course in the Contemporary Asian Studies program at the ��Ƶ's Munk School of Global Affairs, study Indonesia, which has the largest number of Muslims in the world. The course includes an International Course Module, during which students travel to do field research and gain a better understanding of Islam and how it is practised there.

On a recent nine-day trip, students visited Islamic boarding schools (called pensantren), and met with students, educators and religious leaders who encorporate Islamic values and texts in their daily lives, according to an article by Daviel Lazure-Vieira of the Munk School.

“We have seen a rise in misperception regarding Islam,” Jacques Bertrand, a professor of political science and director of the Asian Institute's Collaborative Master’s Specialization in Contemporary East and Southeast Asian Studies, told Lazure-Vieira. He supervised the students' research on the trip.

“Reporting on terrorism, ISIS, as well as the deep conflict in the Middle East leaves the impression that radicalism and extremist ideas are the norm within Islam and creates anxiety across many societies, including Canada. While we can certainly try to compensate by inserting more teaching on Islam, its political expression and its diverse forms in our curriculum, the experience of actually engaging directly on the ground provides a unique opportunity to learn multiple facets within a very short time period.”

“The Islamic narrative is usually shaped around the Arab countries of the Middle East. This trip challenged that notion for many of us,” says Aadil Randeree, a fourth-year economics and history student. “Having lived in the UAE for over 12 years, it was interesting for me to see how a majority-Muslim population can take different approaches to implementing Islam in government and society. From education to business, Islamic principles have been incorporated seamlessly into all aspects of Indonesian society.”

Read the full Munk School of Global Affairs article

In Myanmar, U of T undergrads gain perspective on peace-building

sgupta — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 09:59:09 +0000

In Myanmar, U of T undergrads gain perspective on peace-building sgupta Mon, 10/26/2015 - 05:59

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(all photos courtesy Jennifer Su)

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Sean Bettam

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Faculty of Arts & Science

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International Course Module Program gives students global learning experience

A recent research expedition to Myanmar gave U of T student Eros Grinzato a taste of how much things have changed since democracy came to the country in 2011.

He said conversations with a wide range of people, including the Canadian ambassador, NGO staff and young citizens, attested to a country undergoing a dramatic shift as some are beginning to exercise democratic rights for the first time.

One young woman told the third-year contemporary asian studies and economics student how much she hates the government, Grinzato said. “Public comments like this were unthinkable just a few years ago, for fear of landing in jail,” he added. “People really do feel they can speak more freely and think differently now.”

Grinzato was one of 10 students visiting Myanmar, also known as Burma, as part of the Faculty of Arts & Science’s International Course Module (ICM) Program. The program provides the opportunity to add a short international learning experience to an undergraduate course.

The student group met with people involved in both democratization and peace-building initiatives, and leaders of parties representing ethnic minorities who will be running for positions in the upcoming November elections. They also met with representatives of state-run, private and international media outlets, leaders of large multi-national and small local businesses, as well as students and faculty at the University of Yangon.

“Many people stated that it’s better now from a professional and personal point of view,” said Grinzato. “Some NGO leaders noted it is easier to get their organizations recognized and operate legally, while before they had to do so in secrecy. People are generally very political and have quickly taken to the Internet and communicating widely about anything in their lives.”

The students also found opportunities to speak with members of the next generation of political activists, bloggers and filmmakers, collecting input from the widest range of local actors involved in the changes.

“The trip consolidated our understanding of many of the theories about authoritarianism, democratic transition, peace-building, ethnic politics and economic liberalization that we had been considering in class,” said contemporary asian studies and history student Anthea Snowsill. “How these factors interact in Asia and Myanmar in particular, provided me with a strong foundation to analyze and evaluate our observations and interactions in Yangon.”

Only eight days long and with a jam-packed research agenda, the Myanmar ICM was intense.

“Despite the highly compressed nature of an ICM – or maybe because of it – the experience can be very meaningful,” said anthropologist Joshua Barker, who led the students with political scientist Jacques Bertrand. “We had enlightening conversations at all of our meetings, some of which continued via email and social media long after we returned.”

In a discussion paper on U of T's three priorities released recently, President Meric Gertler talked about the importance of re-imagining undergraduate education and emphasizing research-based, experience-based and international learning.

“Over the past 10 plus years we have dramatically scaled up the number of research opportunities for undergraduates,” Gertler said, “championed experiential and service learning and expanded the range and variety of international experiences available to our students. We need to build on these successes and maintain this momentum.

“Participating in research provides a valuable opportunity for students to develop key skills – to enhance their problem-solving ability and creativity, to foster their capacity for team work and to sharpen their communication skills (both written and oral).”

Contemporary Asian Studies

Students explore diversity in Muslim world through U of T's International Course Module in Indonesia

Read the full Munk School of Global Affairs article

In Myanmar, U of T undergrads gain perspective on peace-building

Read more about the three priorities