About Us
| The Department of Germanic and Romance Studies has its origins in the Department of Modern European Languages which was established in 1948. The Department came into existence in 1988 when the original department was divided into two separate departments. Since the introduction of the MA programmes in 1988 in French, German and Hispanic Studies, the teaching and research focus has been on cultural studies with emphasis on developing an interdisciplinary perspective and a broader European as well as Global South outlook. This focus has been enhanced through the restructuring of the MA programmes and the introduction of an MA in Italian Studies in 1995, the restructuring of the MPhil programmes in 1998 and the introduction of BA (Hons) programmes (in French, German, Italian and Spanish) in 2002. |
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It focused henceforth on courses in the following languages: See courses » |
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The focus on cultural studies and the interdisciplinary perspective is reflected for example in a theme course for MA and MPhil students, that looks at a different theme each year. Themes chosen so far include Bodies that matter, Islands in Literature, Conflict and Literature, India and Europe, Myth and Mythology, Literature and Exile, Romanticism and Modernity, Fin-de-Siexle, Literature and Anthropology, Culture and Globalisation, Literature and Industry, Literature and War, Autobiography, Literature and Travel, Diversity and Unity in Multicultural Societies, Empire and Rebellion, Popular Fiction. The course includes a joint student seminar and an interdisciplinary international conference (which has been held every year since 1996). |
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| In 2008 a Diploma in FLE** (Foreign Language Education) in French / German / Italian / Portuguese / Spanish was added. This one-year programme equips the trainees in the theory and practice of Foreign Language Teaching, with specific emphasis on an Indian context. | |
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The Department offers the following courses:
Certificate in Portuguese | Romanian Advanced Diploma in Portuguese | Romanian Diploma in Portuguese | Romanian |
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*Part-time Courses are also offered in various colleges of the University of Delhi. For the list of colleges and courses please Click Here. Students may directly contact the concerned colleges regarding admission to these courses. |
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Students of the department are selected every year for scholarships to study / do research in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal. |
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The research interests of the faculty members reflect a variety of interests such as the cultural encounter between India and Europe, postcolonial writing in Europe and the erstwhile colonial world, translation (in particular literary translation), contemporary global culture, the interface of literature, art and the new media, and the methodology of teaching foreign languages. |
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Apart from individual research, collaborative research projects with universities abroad are also underway. |
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The department brings together different areas of study, which are organised in most universities as separate departments. We have consciously chosen to remain together with the understanding that our separate areas of study mutually benefit from a common definition of purpose and regular interaction |
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