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K-State Today

May 9, 2018

Soumia Bardhan named recipient of 2018 Curriculum Development Grant

Submitted by Melissa Winkel

Soumia Bardhan

Soumia Bardhan, assistant professor of communication studies, has been named a recipient of the 2018 Curriculum Development Grant from the Global Religion Research Initiative. Bardhan is one of only 11 faculty members in North America to receive the $4,000 award.

The grant will support further development of Bardhan's course, Religion and Communication in the Middle East. This upper-level undergraduate elective course focuses on the relational and co-constitutive dynamics among religion, culture and communication. In the course, students will explore how religion, culture and communication shape the world in which people live; how the legacy of political religious conflict, in conjunction with international culture wars, instigate socio-cultural conflict and change; and how an in-depth study of the dynamics of religion, culture and communication can improve intergroup, intercultural and international relations and conflict resolution processes, each in the context of the Middle East.

"This award is a testament to Dr. Bardhan's noteworthy teaching efforts and her desire to help students explore the role of communication in religion and culture," said Greg Paul, interim head of communication studies.

Bardhan's research focuses on the intersections of religion, politics, gender and new media, particularly the discursive practices within Islam; the rhetoric of Muslim minority groups; and the role of new media and social media in the cultural-political transformation of Arab societies in the Middle East-North Africa region. Bardhan also directs travel seminars focusing on Islam and intercultural dialogue in Spain and France.