Course Launch: Importance of India

India: the fastest growing economy in the world and one of the most diverse places on earth. It's no wonder Ohio State chose India as one of its Global Gateways in efforts to enhance its international interactions and become a more global university.

Ohio State's Dr. Brian D. Joseph, Professor of Linguistics, teamed up with IndoGenius Co-founder Nick Booker, the U.S. Department of State and ODEE to launch the Importance of India course.

The massive open online course (MOOC) is offered through the Coursera learning platform. Tom Evans, program manager for Open Learning at Ohio State, said that the learning materials cover a broad range of topics.

"The course is broken into 6 modules that first, introduces learners to India's history and culture, then focuses on India's: Influence, Diversity, Complexity, Creativity and Opportunity. Students are able to learn more about applying for internships and study/work abroad opportunities as a next step after the course has ended."

The course was created by the U.S. Department of State’s Passport to India initiative, which seeks to increase the number of American college and university students studying in India from approximately 4,500 to at least 10,000 per year by 2020. The open nature of the course will educate American students and bring in rich conversations by other enrollees from around the world.