Introduction to International and Global Studies This is the core course of the International and Global Studies major. It is an introduction to key international issues and problems that will likely feature prominently in their courses at Middlebury and study abroad. Issues covered will differ from year to year, but they may include war, globalization, immigration, racism, imperialism, nationalism, world organizations, non-governmental organizations, the European Union, the rise of East Asia, politics and society in Latin America, and anti-Americanism.

The European Catastrophe, 1914-1945 This course is an interdisciplinary introduction to what began as a political, economic, socio-cultural, and security crisis in Europe and quickly spread across the globe. Through the lens of history, philosophy, sociology, literature, film, and memoir, we will explore a range of topics and themes: the perfection of mechanized warfare, the fall of the European imperial state system, the economic crises of the 1920s and the Great Depression, the birth of bolshevism and fascism, the rise of experimental artistic movements in the interwar period, the psychological understanding of authoritarianism, the Holocaust, and the origins of the postwar order. There will be a bi-weekly film viewing associated with the class.

Borders, Migration, and Identification in Global Perspective In this course we will investigate the concept and historical emergence of borders, their relation to mobility, and the identification regimes that grew up around them.  After interrogating the implications of what a border can mean and the different forms it can take—ideal and material, of mind and body—we will focus our study on the historical origins of modern state borders, various representations of borders, and case studies that particularly highlight the importance of borders regarding the supervision and the sorting of movement. Topics of study will include cities, physical barriers, refugees, and passportization. Regions of study will include the United States, France, Israel, Angola, and Guantanamo Bay.

Who Owns Culture? History, Culture and Decolonization Modern European imperial states devoted considerable time and effort to creating the norms and forms of European life in their colonies. This involved establishing European schools, languages, literature, music, dress, and art as superior to the indigenous cultures of the colonies. During the era of decolonization many thinkers from the colonies began to argue that political emancipation would also require a cultural emancipation. To decolonize the state one had to decolonize one’s state of mind. How could this be achieved? Who “owns” culture? These and other questions will be pursued through the writings of Gandhi, Césaire, Fanon, Memmi, Thiong’o, and others.

Amit Prakash

Reviews and ratings for Amit Prakash at Middlebury College.Amit Prakash teaches Intro to Intl & Global Studies, The European Catastrophe, Borders and Identification and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Amit Prakash good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

This class was super engaging and very informative. Amit Prakash did an amazing job explaining the material and keeping the class engaged. There is a lot of reading but it's manageable. The discussions were super fun and had a lot of great content. Going to lecture are very important, although he shares the slides, it not about that–he explains and expands so much from it. 

This course was super interesting and really well taught. The topics and time periods discussed are quite heavy, but Professor Prakash did an amazing job explaining the nuances and consequences of the time and actions of people. I really enjoyed this course and would highly recommend it. 

I took this course in the fall of 2024 with Professor Prakash and Professor Ramaswamy. I appreciated their different lecture styles and how they have different areas of focus. The readings can be dense but both professors do a great job of going over them and answering questions during discussions. The topics covered in the course are highly applicable to other areas of study even if you are not an IGS major. 