Asian Studies at the University of Ghana and the Deliberate Exclusion of Central Asia from its Mandate

The University of Ghana is proposing to establish an Asian Studies Centre. But, unfortunately they have limited their definition of Asia to only those states with a Pacific coastline. This has gotten some push back from people who study India. They are proposing that a chair in Indian Studies be included in the Asian Studies Centre even though India of course like many Asian states has no Pacific coast. They, however, are perfectly fine excluding all the rest of Asia outside India and the Pacific Asian states which are limited to China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines. Apparently deliberately excluded because unlike China or India there is not the immediate expectation of any funding from their governments is all of former Soviet Central Asia including oil and gas rich Kazakhstan. I am going to protest this matter at the Academic Board meeting this Friday morning since I am the history department representative. But, I am not optimistic I can prevail in this matter.