What is the Language and Culture Project?

A Program to Develop Leaders

The Corps of Cadets Language and Culture (L&C) Program is a program designed to build the next generation of leadership skills for the US military, government, and business. The program focuses on leadership skills within a context of international awareness, regional expertise, and language competence among the cadets at Texas A&M University.

The Corps of Cadets L&C program is a partnership between the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M, the Arabic and Asian Languages Office, the Study Abroad Programs Office, and the Confucius Institute. These units have teamed with the US Department of Defense to create this unique program.

International Awareness

The world is rapidly changing, presenting new challenges to the US military, government, and businesses. Cultural, financial, political, and military trends have shifted to parts of the world that call upon us to develop new skills, new forms of expertise, and a willingness to understand parts of the world that are not familiar to many Americans. The Language and Culture Program at Texas A&M is designed to create experiences for cadets that will help to develop critical awareness of the implications of these changes, and spur new strategic thinking.

Regional Expertise

East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East now play a significantly larger role in global security and finance than they have in the past, and present challenges to traditional thinking. The L&C Program helps to develop exposure to these regions, the demographic, geopolitical, and military trends, and to create opportunities for cadets to develop regional expertise in these little understood regions, and to prepare cadets for leadership in those regions.

Language Competence

The key to effective leadership is the ability to effectively communicate within a variety of contexts. Language skill creates the foundation upon which all crosscultural leadership is based. The L&C Program at Texas A&M University is designed to develop skills in the critical languages of Arabic and Mandarin Chinese, and these goals are supported by on-campus courses and study abroad programs. Other critical languages are also supported by this program. For additional details,contact the program staff .