IFUSS participation in the University of Iowa Crossing Borders Project focused primarily on defining and strengthening Reciprocal American Studies. Made possible by a grant from the Ford Foundation, the Crossing Borders Project seeks new ways of conceptualizing “area studies,” in response to changing geo-political relations. Reciprocal American Studies redefines American Studies as an “area study” with a global scholarly community and aims to internationalize American Studies by using a triangulation model. Our goal is to move beyond bi-lateral, center-periphery models by fostering links not only between institutions in the U.S. and institutions elsewhere, but also by facilitating connections among institutions outside the United States. As with the Iowa “Crossing Borders” initiative as a whole, the focus is on the Indian Ocean area, specifically South Africa, Mozambique and India.

To learn more about IFUSS trips to India and South Africa, please see our newsletters from Winter 2000-2001 and Spring 2002. Deborah Lombard, a graduate student in American Studies at the University of Iowa, has also written about her experience in South Africa in the International Accents newsletter, Spring/Summer 2002 vol.2 no.2.

The 2002 Crossing Borders Convocation, “Globalization and/or Spaces of Hope.” brought together University of Iowa scholars who participated in the trip to South Africa as well as a number of IFUSS –affiliated international scholars. In order to reflect IFUSS’ participation in the Crossing Borders Project, two of the convocation panels were made up of IFUSS scholars, “Reciprocal American Studies: Transformative Possibilities” and “American Studies Outside the United States: A Form of Globalization?"

Links:

Crossing Borders Project
Crossing Borders Convocation 2002 Program

2002 Convocation papers:

	Azam, Kouzar J. Osmania University, Hyderabad, India “Globalization of American Studies after 9/11: Some ruminations”
	Das, Nila. Department of English, University of Kalyani, India “New Trends of American Studies in India Under Conditions of Globalization”
	Marx, Lesley University of Cape Town, South Africa “Keep it Country: The Americanization of my Father.”
	Sharma, R.S. Osmania University, Hyderabad, India “Cultivating Humanity in the Posthuman: The Promise of Reciprocal American Studies”