by Nate LaMar
Indiana’s politically-engaged have all jokingly heard the term, “People’s Republic of Bloomington,” while those less politically-engaged may all either love or hate IU basketball! While I am not an IU alum, I am very concerned by two recent developments there which are “a huge step down the road to turning a world-class university into a regional machine for turning out narrow vocational degrees,” to quote Paula M. Krebs, a 1992 IU graduate.
As I wrote in a summer guest column,our state government forced six Indiana public universities to cut or consolidate over 400 academic degree programs. This included international business at Ball State University, but the impact was disproportionately felt by IU’s70 foreign languages (the most of any US university). More recently, the US Department of Education announced an end toTitle VI funding for over a dozen IU programs that “do not advance American interests or values.” (Indiana Public Media, Sept. 12).
US Senator Todd Young is more than just a friend and fellow service academy graduate. More relevantly to today’s world, he is a fellow former member of the intelligence community. He understands the value of Title VI grants, which are used to create experts on national security and cultural understanding.
Affected most by these Title VI federal budget cuts is IU’s renowned Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, along with the Kelley School of Business’ Center for International Business Education & Research (CIBER).In addition to IU’sForeign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship, the following six National Resource Centersat IU are also affected: African Studies Program; Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies; Center for the Study of Global Change; Center for the Study of the Middle East; Inner Asian& Uralic National Resource Center; and the Robert F. Byrnes Russian & East European Institute.
Over the past year, I have made a few business trips to South-East Asia, which have included some “frontiers of freedom” facing increased threats from Chinese influence. According to The Economist of Oct. 25, Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy recently published a study based on diplomatic, security, economic, soft-power, and signaling factors showing that nine of ten South-East Asian nations have become more aligned with China since 2004. Prior to 2004, six of the ten were more aligned with the US.
If the national security implications of IU’s Title VI programs “do not advance American interests or values,” then what does? I challenge US Secretary of Education (and formerWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) owner) Linda McMahon and IU President Dr. Pamela Whitten to answer this question.
Nate LaMar, an international director and former Army officer, majored in Middle Eastern Studies at West Point,and also served as Henry County Council President from 2009-2019.
