Show-Me State Times

Dyan McGuire, a professor with extensive experience in the American criminal justice system, will be teaching at the National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS) in Kolkata, India. Her tenure will last from December 2024 to May 2025 as part of the Fulbright Scholars Program.

McGuire's courses will include "Understanding Serial Killers through Criminology," "Violence against Women," and "Women’s Rights under International Law." While she already teaches a class on serial killers at Saint Louis University (SLU), the other two courses were developed specifically for her Fulbright engagement. She plans to bring these courses back to SLU after completing her program in India.

Her interest in teaching in India began after attending a criminal justice conference in 2022, where she connected with professionals and professors and became intrigued by the Indian legal system. When the opportunity arose through the Fulbright Scholars Program, McGuire quickly applied and was accepted.

“It all happened pretty quickly,” McGuire said. “I was first introduced to the University at a conference I attended, where I met the Vice Chancellor, who said they’d like to have me if I’d want to come. So I applied to Fulbright and went through the process, and they picked me.”

“They're a law school. I have a law degree, and they have recently started a criminology and criminal justice program, but that's new for them,” McGuire added. “Throughout my career, I’ve straddled the line between those fields. I've got a law degree and a Ph.D. in criminology and criminal justice. Some of the classes they wanted taught, I have expertise in, so it worked out perfectly.”

In preparation for her teaching role in India, McGuire has been studying both the Indian legal system and its culture to ensure her courses are relevant and accessible to NUJS students.

“I wanted to make sure my courses would be relevant and accessible to my NUJS students,” McGuire said. “For example, for my serial killers class, I incorporated examples of Indian serial killers. I also located Indian source material for the Violence against Women class. Culturally, there are things that won’t translate from the U.S. to India and vice versa, so making sure the course is sensitive to the cultural context is important. And our legal systems are somewhat different too, so being familiar with their practices and procedures will be important as well.”

The Fulbright U.S. Scholars Program has been active since 1946, allowing faculty members, researchers, administrators, and established professionals to teach or conduct research abroad while fostering international collaboration.