Making the Argument for Sanskrit

[JN]

lars martin fosse wrote:

(...)
> The problem is that so much modern university politics are driven by  
> student number considerations, not the need for knowledge and competence  
> in the absolute sense of the word.
(...)

I am not really sure about the first part of this statement as our Berlin  
Institute
has witnessed a steady and relatively steep increase in student numbers
over the last 10 years, which in my view reflects a general increasing
interest in south asia. Supposedly in order to deprive us of an argument
concerning good "customer response", a few years ago, the authorities have
restricted the enrolment for our discipline even without prior consultation
of the head of our department (as far as I know).
eversince the student numbers remain stagnant on the level fixed by the
authorities.
i suppose other indological departments have also witnessed an increase in
student numbers? if so, that would possibly serve as an argument to show
that the present scaling-down efforts are against a general public trend.

greetings

jn
-- 
________________________________________
Juergen Neuss, M.A.

Freie Universitaet Berlin
Institut für Indische Philologie und Kunstgeschichte
Koenigin-Luise-Str. 34a
D-14195 Berlin
Germany