P.P. Karan
Professor Emeritus, Human Geography
Director Emeritus, Indian Culture Program
Professor Emeritus, Japan Studies Program

I was born in Gaya, India, a few miles away from the site where Buddha attained enlightenment over 2,500 years ago. My father worked for the Indian government. We were a working-class family where education was the key to moving ahead. I attended local public schools in Bihar state while India was part of the British Empire. I graduated with honors in Economics, and earned master's degree in geography at Banaras Hindu University, and Ph.D. from Indiana University. I have taught at several universities in the United States, Europe, Russia, Japan and India; and worked for international development agencies in the Himalaya. While teaching at the University of Kentucky, I was elected Distinguished Professor by the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences. In 2009 I received a special award for research from the Association of Japanese Geographers. In 2011 I was named University Research Professor. A researcher on the environment and sustainable development, I serve on the Asian Environmental Council – one of the largest environmental networks in the non-Western World.

 I have been involved in a range of initiatives aimed at understanding and utilizing the connections between economic development and the environment for more than 40 years. Over the last quarter of a century, I have initiated an array of schemes and local movements to promote development, environmental protection and cultural preservation in India, Japan, and Himalayan states. Focusing on research that blurs the boundaries between social science and humanities, I continue to seek fresh ways of preserving environment and local cultures. I am the co-editor and author of Local Environmental Movements: A Comparative Study of Japan and the United States (2009); and co-author and editor of the book The Indian Ocean Tsunami: Response and Challenge. I am, also, the author of several books on Asian countries including the Non Western World.  My current research includes planning for reconstruction and rebuilding after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami of 2011, transformation of the Himalayan landscape during the last half century, and changing nature-society relationships on Tibetan plateau.

I admire students who are super passionate about excellence and who get the biggest charge out of doing something extraordinary. You set high standard for yourself because you believe in yourself. You celebrate successes and you acknowledge where you fell short, but then you still show that you are very confident and have a lot of self-esteem. If you can model that, then I think people will respond to it very well.

I take periodic trips to Japan, China and India for research and speaking engagements. On my trips to India, I often visit the middle Ganges valley, the region my family is from.

 

Contact Information
ppkaran@uky.edu
823 Patterson Office Tower
(859) 257-6953