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Area Study Centers and Flagship Programs

UT Austin is home to six prestigious National Resource Centers, awarded competitively under the U.S. Department of Education Title VI program which strives to advance the United States’ international competitiveness through education in international studies, area studies, foreign languages and international business.

Title VI centers strengthen foreign language instruction, area/international studies teaching and research, professional development for educators, and curriculum development at the K-12, graduate, and postsecondary levels.

Title VI Area Study Centers

Center for European Studies (CES)

The Center for European Studies (CES) promotes the study of Europe in the form of: providing language study; offering courses on European culture, history, economics, business, and politics; creating opportunities for study abroad and internships abroad; and assisting students in pursuing work opportunities connected to Europe. CES also serves civic, nonprofit, and business associations with activities in Europe; academic leaders and institutions from Europe with collaborative agreements with UT; governmental and multilateral agencies dedicated to social and economic betterment in Europe; and the general public in Texas and the US whose world outlook includes Europe.

Center for Middle Eastern Studies

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies, established in 1960, offers over 300 language and area studies courses each year. The Center provides a supportive environment for faculty researching and teaching on the Middle East throughout the University, which are carried out by 150 scholars with faculty appointments in 22 departments. The Center offers an interdisciplinary program in Middle Eastern Studies at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Center for Open Educational Resources & Language Learning (COERLL)

The mission of the Center for Open Educational Resources & Language Learning (COERLL) is dedicated to improving the teaching and learning of foreign languages through applied linguistic research, teacher development, language assessment, K-12 initiatives, and producing open education resources. COERLL aims to reframe foreign language education in terms of bilingualism and/or multilingualism.

Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (CREES)

The Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (CREES) sponsors major conferences, workshops, faculty interest groups, and scholarly symposia. CREEES also provides Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships to students pursuing graduate and undergraduate degrees relating to Russia, Eastern Europe and Eurasia in any department or school of the university.

South Asia Institute (SAI)

UT Austin hosts the largest, longest standing South Asia program in the southwestern United States. The South Asia Institute (SAI) sponsors major conferences, scholarly symposia, and a bi-weekly South Asia Seminar. SAI provides Foreign Language and Area Studies fellowships to UT Austin students pursuing degrees relating to South Asia and promotes the study of contemporary South Asian languages.

Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS)

The Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS) is an interdisciplinary program integrating more than 30 academic departments and 160 faculty across the university to improve knowledge and understanding of Latin America through education, research, and exchange. LLILAS’ partnership with the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection pairs the abundant scholarly resources of the collection with the teaching and research focus of the institute.

Foreign Language Flagship Programs

Arabic Flagship Program

The prestigious Arabic Flagship Program represents a broad range of academic interests, including political sciences, natural sciences, cultural studies, business administration and engineering.

Portuguese Flagship Program

The University of Texas at Austin is the second institution in the United States to host the Portuguese Flagship Program. The merit-based undergraduate course of study is designed for learners of Portuguese who seek to achieve professional working proficiency through study and internship in Brazil.