Forum for South Asian Studies at Uppsala University

UUWeb page: http://www.fsas.uu.se/

On 13 September 2011, Områdesnämnden för humaniora och samhällsvetenskap at Uppsala University formally decided to establish a Forum for South Asia Studies. The purpose is to strenghten South Asia research and education, and increase Uppsala University’s collaboration with South Asia.
A board was constituted, with Dr. Gunnel Cederlöf from the Faculty of History and Philosophy being the chair person. Other members of the board are Dr. Eva Hellman, Faculty of Theology; Dr. Rebecca Stern, Faculty of Law; Dr. Heinz-Werner Wessler, Dept. of Languages; Ranjula Bali Swain and Dr. Fiona Rotberg, Faculty of Social Sciences. There will also be representatives for students and PhD candidates.
Dr. Ferdinando Sardella  (photo) from the Department of Theology was appointed Coordinator for the Forum.
The university has also been  involved in discussions with the Embassy of India and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to establish an ICCR professorship at Uppsala University along the same lines that Lund University has since 2010. The Uppsala professorship is supposed to be a Chair of Indian Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences. On January 22, 2013 a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Uppsala University and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) for a Chair of Indian Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences at Uppsala University. More information.
In May 2011, SASNET’s Lars Eklund met the key persons involved in the planning for a Forum for South Asian Studies, more information about the meeting.