The University of British Columbia (UBC) Asian Studies department has embarked on a vigorous initiative to establish a Persian Language and Iranian Studies program at the university. For details kindly consult:
UBC Initiative in Persian Language and Iranian Studies (pdf)
Below is an excerpt from the initiative cited in the above file:
Long recognized as a leader in teaching and research on Asia, UBC has recently reaffirmed its commitment to Asia in its new strategic plan, Place and Promise. To date, UBC’s commitment to engagement with Asia has focused primarily on East and South Asia, and indeed, the Chinese and Indic cultural spheres are well represented in the Faculty of Arts—especially so in the department of Asian Studies.
But if Chinese language and civilization have been paramount in East Asia for the past two millennia, and Sanskrit language and literary culture similarly important in South Asia, Persian language and civilization have been equally central to the history of Western, Central and South Asia for roughly the same period of time.
Recognizing the key role of >>>