by dicey » Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:12 pm
Thank you all for the leads. Some really good stuff there. I stupidly failed to mention that I am trying to channel remaining GI Bill benefits into this endeavor (therefore, American, and unfortunately Iran is out of the question). In order to do this I have to find a program issuing a degree comparable to one obtainable in the states (I am considering UCLA and Berkeley, and will take a closer look at ASU soon, but studying overseas sounds like more fun). The GI Bill website shows American University of Central Asia in Bishkek as already approved, but it seems I am going to have to persuade another university, one with a good/decent “near east” program, to submit the necessary paperwork for me to take advantage of my remaining benefit. If you know of a program that might meet these requirements in Central Asia or Azerbaijan, or elsewhere, I am all ears.
I am also looking for formal programs in India, having called it home for years now. There must be something in Punjab (would like to avoid Delhi and Varanasi, if possible), but I haven't made much progress in that search. On that note, perhaps I can complicate things, derail my own thread a bit, and ask the board their opinions on which language offers the most door-opening potential in the near future, Farsi, Urdu, or Punjabi? Studying Urdu/Punjabi alongside Farsi would not be a stretch for me (I've got a bit of Urdu and Punjabi under my belt already) and a program that allowed for that and taking some easy filler classes would probably be ideal. This seems possible at Berkeley. Bottom line, I missed the boat for Afghanistan and want to get set up for gainful adventure/employment.