Freeman Foundation Awards DePauw $455,740 for Asian Studies
February 19, 2002
February 19, 2002, Greencastle, Ind. - The Freeman Foundation, through its Undergraduate Asian Studies Funding Initiative, has awarded a four-year, $455,740 grant to DePauw University. The grant supports the addition of a full-time faculty member in a tenure-track position in the modern languages department to teach Chinese language and literature. The Freeman Foundation funds will also provide funding for a number of programs that will enrich DePauw's on-campus programming related to China, strengthen the University's China-related library holdings and allow DePauw to develop closer ties with selected Chinese universities.
The Freeman grant provides funds for faculty members to visit Chinese universities and to study in China in the summer, as well as travel scholarships for students studying in China for semester-long programs. The Freeman grant will also support students and 
faculty members participating in study trips in China and East Asia for the next three Winter Terms.
"This grant provides us a remarkable opportunity to strengthen our Asian Studies program which has been growing steadily over the past decade," said Neal B. Abraham, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. "The support of the Freeman Foundation will allow us to build the staff and programs for Chinese language, literature, and culture to levels which complement our program strengths in South Asia and Japan. The opportunities for faculty members and students to study in China will also strengthen the University's commitment to multicultural and globalizing experiences as part of a liberal arts education for the 21st century."
Paul B. Watt, director and professor of Asian Studies at DePauw says, "Providing support not only for a new faculty position, but also for on-campus programming, library acquisitions, and student and faculty scholarships, the Freeman grant enhances in a major way the ability of the Asian Studies Program to serve the DePauw community."
Yung-chen Chiang, associate professor of history at
DePauw says, "The Freeman Foundation grant provides us with an opportunity to expand our current China-related curriculum beyond the Mandarin language and history to include the literature and cultural studies, an exciting growing field with many talented young scholars and teachers. I am thrilled by this program augmentation and am looking forward to working with a new colleague in my field."