University of Oklahoma receives U.S. State Department grants for work in South Asia

The college received grants totaling $1.3 million through the State Department's Education and Cultural Affairs bureau.

The largest grant will provide $1 million to establish a partnership with Pakistan's University of Gujrat. The second provides $360,000 to continue the college's work with media professionals in Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh grant builds on work OU has done in the country for the past eight years. The new grant will allow OU to bring 18 media professionals to Norman in April and October. University officials plan to place those professionals in extended work experience programs with Oklahoma City media outlets during their visits.

The project also will send two delegations of Oklahoma media professionals on visits to Bangladesh.

Gaylord College Dean Joe Foote said the Bangladesh program is a partnership with OU's Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth. Although the grant wasn't specific to media outlets, Foote said, it allows the university to use the connections the Gaylord College has in the region in conjunction with entrepreneurship expertise from the Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth.