In the picturesque winter landscape of the Swedish town Höör, a group of five doctoral students met on 5 December for the SASNET PhD retreat of 2023. Coming from diverse academic backgrounds (human rights studies, sustainability research, and medicine), the students all share a common focus on the region of South Asia. 

Throughout the day, the participants engaged in a series of activities. They all presented their research papers, while also offering valuable insights and feedback on each other's work. The retreat also featured a session on navigating fieldwork in South Asia, creating a platform for discussions and sharing of firsthand experiences.

At Lund University, quite a few PhD students are working on South Asia. But it’s only when we get together that we realise what a resource we can be for each other. - Therese Boje Mortensen.

In a concluding session, the doctoral students explored ideas for the future and shared their expectations for SASNET's role in supporting Lund University students at all levels.

There was an agreement among participants to preserve the SASNET PhD network as a valuable resource group and the annual retreat as the cornerstone of the network's activities.