Word: nelc
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...archaeology of ancient Jerusalem have to do with each other? Nothing, really, as far as I can tell. However, if you are interested in studying any of these diverse and eclectic topics at Harvard, you would turn in one direction—to the Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (NELC) department...
...think Iranians are Arab: Iran is in the Middle East, after all. How can someone truly explore a culture in an unbiased way with this mode of thinking? With the College’s curricular review underway, University Hall should take a close look at the logic of organizing NELC this...
Revamping NELC will not be an easy task. For one, it needs to be separated into at least five departments: Arabic and Islamic studies, Persian studies, Jewish studies, Turkish studies and Ancient Near East studies. While these departments would still share geographic proximity, they would have a coherence that the current NELC department lacks. Instead of focusing on geographic regions as their sole reason for existing, these departments would rely on culture...
Another Achilles’ heel of NELC as it is currently structured lies in its Arabic language program. Currently, the Arabic program gives two options: Classical Arabic or Modern Standard Arabic. There are no classes taught in Arabic that are not philology or language classes. For those hoping one day to use their Arabic in the Middle East, that is not enough. Learning different dialects is just as important as learning the Standard Arabic form, but only one Arabic dialect is taught. If a student wishes to study abroad in Morocco, for instance, the Arabic he or she learned...
These are just some of the issues that need addressing. There are many more that a thorough examination of the department would reveal. Of course, NELC is not entirely inadequate. There are currently more than a hundred students in NELC, with 19 undergraduate concentrators (including myself). However, the advantages I enjoy—small concentration size and flexibility in choosing classes—are more and more offset by the antiquated doctrine on which the department is based. Reexamining the department will allow for a better and more valuable academic experience for those interested in the Middle East...