April 23, 2010

Krish Varma. Download image.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) junior Krish Varma, 21, of Mobile has won a 2010 U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship to study in India.

Varma will study Hindi at the American Institute of Indian Studies in Jaipur, India, for two months this summer. Varma, who is majoring in Spanish and economics, is a student in the UAB University Honors Program and the School of Business Honors Program. He says he plans to pursue a career in international trade. He is the son of Jyotsna Varma, M.D., of Mobile.

"I have been to India twice in my life," says Varma, who is Indian. "I grew up hearing Hindi at home. But I never learned to speak the language on an advanced level. So, I'm looking forward to this experience. I'm interested in a career in international trade. Because India's economy is growing, I think that knowing how to speak Hindi will be helpful in my career."

The Critical Language Scholarship Program is part of the National Security Language Initiative, a U.S. government interagency effort to expand the number of students learning and mastering critical-need foreign languages. The scholarship provides for intensive language instruction, travel, fees and other expenses.

About the UAB University Honors Program

The UAB University Honors Program provides gifted students the opportunity to learn within a community of committed scholars. Courses are team-taught by faculty in a thematic leaning environment in the liberal-arts tradition. Lively discussion, challenging readings that require critical thinking and a learning approach that asks students to think about issues from multiple viewpoints is a hallmark of this nationally recognized program.

About the UAB School of Business

Known for its innovative and interdisciplinary approach to education at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, UAB is an internationally renowned research university and academic medical center. Capitalizing on the campus' location in the heart of Alabama's largest city and business center, the UAB School of Business offers unparalleled student access to internships as well as part- and full-time employment opportunities with the state's most significant companies.