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.

CSAMES supports faculty and student initiatives concerning the areas of the world with which we are engaged. We support an open and respectful exchange of views, in the belief that this is crucial to the success of any academic institution. We are happy to cosponsor, and advertise educational events on campus; defining whether an event is “educational” shall be at the discretion of the Director. “Cosponsorship” means that we recognize the relevance of the event to the study of South Asia and/or the Middle East and that we believe the event conducive to fostering debate on issues of import to those parts of the world and our engagements with them. “Cosponsorship” does not mean endorsement of views expressed by individuals or groups speaking at those events.