The creation of the Watson School of International and Public Affairs marked a pivotal moment in Brown’s commitment to global education on campus. The Watson School expands courses, research and other opportunities for students to engage with issues around the world. Brown’s emphasis on international education extends to the large number of classes and high student enrollment in language departments. But there is a glaring absence in our course offerings: Bengali. Despite being one of the most spoken languages in the world, Bengali language courses are nowhere to be found in Brown’s course catalog. Brown should consider launching a Bengali language and culture program to realize their commitment to offering students a robust and global education is complete.
Of the ten most spoken languages in the world, Bengali is the only one not offered at Brown. From Spanish to Mandarin to Urdu, the language department clearly prioritizes popular and dominant languages in determining what should be taught. Yet Bengali — which is spoken by more people than Portuguese, Russian or Urdu are — is not on the list. The language has also become increasingly common in the United States, so much so that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani included Bengali language videos as part of his campaign. Many Ivy League schools, such as Yale, Cornell, Columbia and Penn, teach the language in their classes as well. I question the purpose and mission of a language department that does not take into consideration the objective popularity of Bengali. The lack of this language offering represents the discrepancy between what Brown offers and what we aim to achieve as an institution that values global perspectives.
Bengali is an incredibly useful asset to anyone with an interest in international and public affairs, especially those who want to specialize in regions with large Bengali communities. Immigration in the Middle East, for instance, inevitably involves individuals from the huge Bangladeshi diaspora in the area, and Bangladeshis make up the largest expatriate group in Saudi Arabia. For students looking to work in the Middle East or on global migration, learning Bengali would provide benefits in the field and also improve their marketability when searching for positions in international affairs. In 2024, more than 400,000 Bangladeshi nationals lived in Europe, so anyone interested in European politics and foreign policy would also benefit from being able to interact with the Bangladeshi migrants in the region.
Bangladesh itself is also a key player in Asia, with a critical role in the competitive dynamics between China and India. Anyone wanting to understand the foreign policy of these large players would gain essential insight if they were able to communicate with Bangladeshi politicians, researchers and news sources. Furthermore, Bangladesh is the birthplace of microfinance, making it an important player in global development — one of the Watson School’s areas of focus.
It is worth mentioning that Bangladesh is the only country with Bengali as its official language, and the language is state-recognized in India, where it is primarily spoken in states that border Bangladesh. The language’s apparent geographical isolation may cast doubt on its practical value, but people migrate from Bangladesh to all corners of the world, and Bengali is ranked sixth in the top 10 origin countries of international immigrants. From Saudi Arabia to New York, Bengali is far from an isolated language.
Outside of skills and jobs, studying Bengali will also allow students to appreciate a rich canon of cultural and artistic knowledge. Bengali artists, such as Satyajit Ray, have created masterpieces in film and art that brought South Asian culture to the mainstream. The language also has a deep literary past, with its own script that dates back hundreds of years. In fact, the first non-European to receive a Nobel Prize in literature was Rabindranath Tagore, a Bengali writer. His works were so influential that two eventually became the national anthems for both India and Bangladesh.
As an immigrant who left Bangladesh at a young age, I have been searching for the honey-like sound of its words everywhere I go. I strongly believe that Brown should truly embrace global education, preparing students for careers in international and public affairs by teaching a vital language with a worldwide reach.
Shayyan Ahmed ’27 can be reached at shayyan_ahmed@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column toletters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
