Welcome to the web site of the Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute Center for Persian Studies (RICPS) at the University of Maryland, College Park.
We hope your visit will be the beginning of a journey that might eventually bring us closer to each other, and to our common goal. As the first full-fledged academic center focused on the Persian-speaking cultures in Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia (as well as the Persian-speaking diaspora communities around the globe), RICPS was established in fall 2004 with the following three objectives in mind:
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1) To establish an outstanding academic program in Persian language and literature, from elementary language instruction to various graduate degrees; 2) To enhance the capacity of the University of Maryland System to examine various facets of the Persian-speaking cultures, both contemporary and historical; |
3) To strengthen the relations between the UM and the surrounding communities, in the state of Maryland and the nation's capital, as well as around the world.
In its third year, RICPS is already experiencing a very healthy rate of growth, which means a lot of work for our core staff at, but which also creates an exciting atmosphere to work in. Please browse the various links you find here, spread the word about RICPS to your friends and acquaintances, and share your ideas with us. Together we can take the initial steps needed to help our institutions of higher education and our communities develop a better understanding of the culture area that has contributed so much to the modern world, but which is seriously underrepresented and badly misunderstood in American culture today. Every click is likely to take you a step closer to a better appreciation of the Persian-speaking world.
Best wishes,
Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak
Professor and Founding Director
If you are interested in receiving information about the events sponsored by the Roshan Cultural Institute Center for Persian Studies (RICPS) and our periodic newsletter please subscribe our mailing list.
