Oregon State University (OSU) is launching religious studies major in the upcoming winter term and it shall include various Hinduism courses.
“One area of emphasis is on the religions of Southeast Asia, including Budhhism, Hinduism and Islam”, according to an OSU release.
Various Hinduism related courses offered include “Intro to Hindu Traditions”, “Yoga and Tantric Traditions”, “Gandhi and nonviolence”, etc.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, described OSU’s approach as “a step in the right direction”.
Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that religion was a complex element of our lives and religion comprised much more than one’s own individual experience or specific tradition. God, as a sign of God’s munificence and benevolence, constructively wished presence of different faiths.
Rajan Zed urged the schools/departments of religion and philosophy of major world universities to strengthen their Hinduism sections. Hinduism being the oldest religion with rich philosophical thought and a vast array of scriptures needed more exploration. Zed especially asked the Harvard, Cambridge, Yale, Princeton, Oxford, Stanford, Columbia, McGill, Australian National, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Heidelberg, Uppsala, and Utrecht universities to further enrich their Hinduism resources.
Founded in 1868, OSU headquartered in Corvallis now serves over 26,000 students from all 50 US states and over 90 countries. Dr. Edward J. Ray is President.