Diverse perspectives
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Advancing awareness
The Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (CSAMES) was founded to sponsor, highlight, and encourage events that further our academic community's awareness of and knowledge about the societies of South Asia and the Middle East. CSAMES is engaged in activities to foster knowledge and debate on those areas on campus as well as among community institutions such as schools, libraries, and service organizations, and we welcome suggestions for collaborative efforts in the service of these goals.
Alumni Spotlight: Courtney Averkamp
Courtney Averkamp earned her MA in Religious Studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she focused on Hinduism and Buddhism. Her current research interests revolve around religions in and of South Asia. She is a Teaching Assistant for Asian Mythology and World Religions.
Recent Lecture: China and the Middle East through the lens of Halal Diplomacy
This research focuses on certain halal markets that are large and have aspirations to lead halal certification and quality standardization in recent years. Example: the MENA. Southeast Asia has inspired halal diplomacy with other players. I analyze whether China is a major halal market partner and their influence for each situation. This trend is also seen in major halal markets like MENA, EU, and ASEAN as these countries expand their halal certification processes. The paper examines halal markets and global South relations, focusing on China's influence, and outlines the interview methods...