Namaste and adaab - "hello" in Hindi and Urdu, respectively - would have been appropriate greetings at a University-sponsored event Friday and Saturday.
The two languages commonly spoken in India were the topic of discussion at this weekend's Hindi Urdu Workshop.
The event, hosted by UT's Hindi/Urdu Flagship Program with sponsorship from the federal Office of the Director of National Intelligence, brought government officials and professors from the University of Pennsylvania, Rice University and the UT flagship program together Friday and Saturday to establish connections and exchange ideas about how to teach Hindi and Urdu.
"We're sharing the best practices and teaching methods to find ways to cooperate in the future," said Lt. Col. Richard Dabrowski, coordinator of the conference.
Presenters spoke about the history of the two languages, the different ways in which they are taught in the U.S., strategies to raise Hindi and Urdu proficiency levels and using the languages in government services.
"People from both the government and universities are here because we're trying to find ways to share information in the future so we won't all be reinventing the wheel," said professor Herman von Olphen, director of the flagship program.
Biochemistry senior Nikhil Nayak, a Diwali co-chair of the Hindu Students Council, said it is important to understand the culture associated with the languages.
"India is really up-and-coming in terms of providing employment, so as more and more companies are coming in contact with the country, it is important that they understand the culture so they understand the people," Nayak said.
The conference's participants were also able to attend Jhalak '07, a flagship program-sponsored event that brought UT Indian student organizations together to celebrate India's culture.
"We had Indian dancers, food and different video clips informing people about India," said Niraj Badhiwala, an electrical engineering and pre-med junior and president of the Indian Cultural Association.
Badhiwala said Hindi and Urdu are important languages, especially in the business world.
"The world is getting smaller because of globalization," he said. "India is playing a key role in that."
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