New academic programs, outreaches to other schools and new translation courses are in store for the Center for Southeast Asian Studies.

With the help of the U.S. Department of Education, the Center for Southeast Asian Studies received a $1.4 million grant to expand its programs.

The grant is a 47 percent increase from a similar grant received in 2000. The grants are awarded every three years to support efforts to increase the number of trained specialists in world languages and cultures.

Of seven National Resource Centers for Southeast Asian Studies, NIU received the largest grant. Some of the institutions included Cornell University, University of Michigan and the University of California at Berkeley.

NIU offers a minor and a graduate concentration in Southeast Asian Studies. Courses are offered in the region’s history, religion, languages, literature, anthropology, geography, music, art history and government.

“These grants are awarded in three-year cycles,” said Julia S. Lamb, outreach coordinator for the center. “[Our main goal] is to let the NIU community know about Southeast Asia, as well as be more visible on campus, in the local community and the larger community.”

One of the important things the center is trying to establish is to create partnerships at different levels, with different groups.

“After Sept. 11, 2001, Congress, as well as the president, approved new money for national education because not enough people were available to be hired who were fluent in these key areas,” said Susan Russell, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies. “The priority areas were south Asia, central Asia and northeast Asia. Security concerns related to southeast Asia hit the radar after these funds were approved.”