"Just before winter break, news broke that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill plans to close its centers for African, Asian, European, Middle Eastern, Latin American and Slavic, Eurasian and East European studies. Though UNC administrators said in a statement that decisions on closures are not finalized, they confirmed they are evaluating centers and institutes as part of a budget-cutting effort in response to state and federal funding changes."
"UNC boasts one of the most robust and comprehensive constellations of area studies programs in the country. Closing these centers could jeopardize several long-standing degree programs as well as a new Persian concentration, not to mention ongoing research and programming that has made UNC into a global affairs powerhouse. Of course, area studies-the interdisciplinary programs that build expertise and understanding of countries, cultures, languages, institutions and peoples around the world- are in peril far beyond Chapel Hill."
"Federal funding for area studies had already been declining, but a more pointed threat emerged with Project 2025, President Trump's blueprint to reshape the federal government, which claimed that area studies programs were inimical to American interests. In September, the U.S. Department of Education canceled funding for area studies programs across the board. Duke University, UNC's in-state rival and collaborator, has already cut specialized librarian positions supporting the university's area study programs."
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is evaluating the closure of six area-studies centers to cut costs, with administrators citing state and federal funding changes and potential savings of $7 million. The closures could endanger long-standing degree programs, a new Persian concentration, and extensive research and programming that contribute to global affairs expertise. Federal support for area studies has declined, and Project 2025 and a Department of Education funding cancellation have intensified threats. Other universities have cut specialist positions and altered research directions, raising concerns about diminished capacity to understand international developments.
Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
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