Many students are waiting for opportunities to try out new courses and carve out a niche for themselves rather than go for time-tested ones and join the bandwagon of doing a job. For such students, the Delhi-based Jamia Millia Islamia has introduced an M.Phil programme in European and Latin American studies. Before embarking on the course, it is essential to know what Latin America is. According to Webster’s New World College Dictionary 2009, the widely accepted definition of Latin America is: “The part of the Western Hemisphere, south of the US, in Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and South America, where Spanish, Portuguese and French are the official languages”. Political and cultural analysts disagree with the definition as they feel the linguistic criteria make the definition problematic at two stages.

Firstly, it emphasises the European heritage of Latin American countries, thus placing a large number of indigenous Latin American people in a secondary position. Secondly, it also excludes parts of the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean, which, despite not being linguistically ‘Latin’, share cultural traits, geographical position and historical experience. However, Germany-based Institute for Cultural Diplomacy uses the term ‘Latin America’ to refer to all parts of the American continent south of the US border, which includes Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

The Institute states that in terms of culture, biodiversity, ecology and natural resources,Latin America is one of the richest and most diverse regions in the world. With an area of approximately 22,000,000 km2, the 45 countries that make up Latin America and the Caribbean comprise 14.1% of the earth’s total land surface area and 8.6% of its population, says the Institute adding that inhabitants here are of diverse cultural origin, including descendents of Europeans, Africans, Asians as well as numerous indigenous groups, and converse in over 550 different languages. It also states that the region encompasses glacier fields, tropical rainforests, deserts and islands and boasts of an abundance of renewable and non-renewable natural resources, namely oil, copper, gold, timber and guano. According to historical data available, Europe’s ties with Latin America began in 1492, when Christopher Columbus first set foot on the Caribbean island of San Salvador. He believed that he had reached Asia, but it should be remembered that his voyage of ‘discovery’ marked the beginning of European colonisation of the ‘New World’, according to the Institute. Many experts feel that Europe and Latin America are linked, not only by common history but by cultural, political and economic ties. It is common knowledge that strategic partnership between the EU and Latin America has existed since the first bi-regional Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1999. The regions now cooperate closely and maintain intensive political dialogue at regional, sub-regional and bilateral levels, the Institute states. It must be noted that EU is the leading investor in the region and the second largest trading partner after the US. Documents state that from 2007-2013, EU assistance amounts to around •300 billion, while the European Investment Bank is authorised to lend up to •2.8 billion.

Coming back to the Jamia course on European- Latin American, a University official said that the programme in European studies deals with contemporary and historical features of European culture focusing on study of specific aspects of European societies, their media, literature and culture. He said that the Latin American programme will enable students to work on contemporary themes in order to develop a research body in the country on issues relating to Latin America and the Caribbean. It builds on a foundation of language, literature, history and cultural studies, the beaming official said in Delhi recently. Speaking on those eligible for the course, the official said that students with a background in humanities, languages and social sciences, and wishing to pursue research in the broad area of literary and cultural studies could take admissions. It must be noted that Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Massachusetts, United States, offers a course on European and Latin American Fiction. In this Under Graduate course, students are given a broad introduction to the field of European and Latin American fiction. They begin with the first picaresque novel, Lazarillo de Tormes, and end with contemporary European fiction. The course is designed to help students acquire a general understanding of major fictional modes-from 18th century epistolary fiction, Liaisons dangereuses, to 20th century avant-garde fiction: Cosmicomicsi and Aura. The Varsity says that apart from teaching the literary  movements, they highlight the subtle interplay of history, geography, language and cultural norms that gave rise to specific literary forms.

So students wishing to pursue an M.Phil programme in European-Latin American, what are you waiting for. Get on, make the most of it. For details log on to: www.jmi.nic.in or contact: Jamia Millia Islamia, Maulana Mohammad Ali Johar Marg, Jamia Nagar Delhi - 110 025. Phone: +91-11-26981717,
26988044, 26984075, 26985176.