Newsletter 22 - 19 December 2002
Last updated: 14 November 2011
SWEDISH SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES NETWORK
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Contents:
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SASNET News:
• 19 applications for SASNET planning grants
A total number of 19 applications for the latest round of SASNET planning grants were received before the closing-date on 15 November 2002. 17 applications refer to research programmes/projects, one to education; and one to continued research networking. Total amount applied for is 1.58 Million SEK, whereas total amount available to distribute will be 475 000 SEK (preliminary figure). Decisions on the grants will be taken on 28 January, 2003. More information on SASNET’s Planning grants.
• Invitation for applications for the next round of SASNET planning grants
Applications are now welcome for the next round of SASNET planning grants. Closing date for applications is 15 June, 2003. More information.
• Planning grants also available from Sida/SAREC
Note that similar planning grants can also be applied for from Sida/SAREC. Planning grants are offered for field work, research collaboration and other activities, including costs for salaries and travelling expenses. Closing date for the next round of applications is 1 March 2003. SASNET presents information on these and other Planning and Travelling grants open for researchers engaged in South Asia related research. Go for the page!
• South Asian students Guide to studies at Swedish universities
A very useful virtual South Asian students guide to studying at Swedish universities has been prepared by SASNET, giving information on admission rules, funding possibilities etc with links to the relevant agencies. Go for the guide.
• Reviews from the SASNET symposium
The SASNET symposium for Swedish PhD students and post-docs engaged in research related to South Asia took place on 25–27 October 2002, at Marstrands Varmbadhus, north of Göteborg. The sessions were devoted to discuss the situation of PhD students in South Asian Studies or South Asia relevant studies (recruitment, fieldwork, supervision, finishing, post-doc situation). Reviews from the sessions and the group discussions are now available, along with the full programme, participants list and basis for discussions on our web page http://www.sasnet.lu.se/phdsymp.html.
• Panels suggestions to the EASAS conference at Lund 2004
A committee consisting of researchers at Lund University, assisted by the SASNET root node is now preparing for the 18th European Conference on Modern South Asian Studies, to be held in Lund, Sweden, on 6–9 July 2004. The conference, which is open to scholars engaged in research and teaching concerning South Asia with regard to all periods and fields of study, is organised by SASNET on behalf of the European Association for South Asian Studies, EASAS. Invitations for suggesting conference panels has been sent out to researchers around the World. Suggestions for panels should be delivered before 30 June 2003. More information on our conference invitation page.
Community News:
• Dissertation by Per Ståhlberg on Hindi newspapers
Per Ståhlberg from the Dept of Social Anthropology, Stockholm University, defends his dissertation on ”Lucknow Daily: How a Hindi Newspaper Constructs Society” on Friday 20 December, 2002, 13.00. Faculty opponent is Dr Thomas Blom Hansen, University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Venue: Hörsal 9, hus D, Södra huset, Frescati. More information on Per Ståhlberg’s personal web page.
• Dissertation on images of Asia in Norwegian feature stories
Elisabeth Eide from the Institute for Media and Communication, Oslo University, defended her dissertation on ”’Down there’ and ’up here’. ’Europe's Others’ in Norwegian feature stories”, on Saturday 23 November. Faculty opponents were Karen Ross, Coventry University, U.K., and Torsten Thurén, Stockholm University. Read abstract of dissertation (as a pdf-file).
• Contemporary India – a Summer Program in Hyderabad, India
The board of the Nordic Center in India announces a four-week summer program in July 2003, on the topic of Contemporary India. The program will consist of lectures and field trips organized by the Study in India Program at the University of Hyderabad in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. More information.
• EU’s 6th Framework Programme launched
The European Commission has now launched its much awaited 6th Framework Programme, FP6. 11 500 Expressions of interest were received in beforehand for participation in research. 17.5 Billion Euro will be distributed to research during the period 2003-2006. The seven thematic areas which are entitled for support are:
‡ Life sciences, Genomics and Biotechnology for Health
‡ Information society technologies
‡ Nanotechnologies and nano-sciences, knowledge-based functional materials, new production processes and devices
‡ Aeronautics and space
‡ Food quality and safety
‡ Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems
‡ Citizens and governance in a knowledge-based society
More information from the CORDIS FP6 page.
• Swedish Research Council supports South Asia related projects
In November 2002 the Swedish Research Council distributed 1.700 Million SEK to research projects in all the disciplines for the period 2003–2005. A limited number of projects related to South Asia were given grants. See SASNET’s presentation of these projects (in Swedish only).
• Visiting fellow position announced at Karolinska Institutet
A position is announced as visiting fellow at Karolinska Institutet, Department of Molecular Medicine and Department of Endocrinology. It is a research training position on Calcium- and cAMP signaling networks in the pancreatic ß-cells, and will last for one–two years funded by the Swedish Research Council. The ideal candidate is registered in a PhD programme outside of Sweden or in a different university in Sweden and would like to perform part of his/her thesis work in the department’s laboratory. Women and candidates from developing countries are encouraged to apply. More information (as a pdf file).
• Aalborg University announces position as PhD Scholarship holder
SPIRIT, the doctoral school within the Institute for History, International and Social Studies, at Aalborg University, Denmark, announces a position as PhD Scholarship holder from May 2003. Applicants are particularly welcome in the thematic area of Global Markets and Organisations: Co-operation and Competition, and applicants are strongly advised to consult the outline of this research area on the SPIRIT website. Application deadline is 15 January 15, 2003.
• PhD fellows positions announced at GSSS, University of Bremen
The Graduate School of Social Sciences (GSSS) at the University of Bremen, Germany, invites applications to its 3-year PhD programme in three specified research fields, including ”International Relations and Political Theory”. GSSS which is part of an international network of graduate education, and is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, will accept 15 PhD fellows, nine of whom will receive a stipend of € 1000/month for 36 months according to the ranking list. Foreign students (with an excellent undergraduate record and command of English) are encouraged to apply. Last date for applications: 15 January, 2003. More information from the GSSS home page.
• SEPHIS announces five fellowships for post-doctoral research
SEPHIS, the South-South exchange programme for research on the history of development, based at Amsterdam (and fully sponsored by the Netherlands Ministry for Development Cooperation), announces five fellowships for post-doctoral research in 2003. Funding will be provided for travel and research costs, and salary according to local standards. Eligible are scholars who have received their PhD degrees, preferably within the last five years, and who are employed by or affiliated to a university, a research institute or development agency in a developing country. Another five grants are also available for PhD research. Under the sub-themes of ”The forging of Nationhood, and the contest over Citizenship, Ethnicity and History”; and ”Equity, Exclusion and Liberalisation”, Sephis will give special attention to the search for new identities and visions on development which arise in the South. Deadline for applications: 30 April, 2003. More information from the SEPHIS web page.
• SSAAPS invites for applications for PhD student positions
The Swedish School of Advanced Asia Pacific Studies (SSAAPS) invites for applications for a maximum of six PhD student positions for the fall term 2003. Students who are planning to pursue doctoral studies at Swedish university departments that provide economic, cultural, political and social perspectives on developments in the Asia Pacific region (note! the South Asian countries excluded!) are eligible to apply. Deadline for applications: 1 March 2003 – changed date!
Conferences and courses
• Anna Lindberg presents paper at Conference on Dowry in New Delhi
The Sixth International Conference on Dowry, Bride-Burning and Son-Preference is held 3–6 January, 2003, at New Delhi, India. The conference is arranged by the Gender & Religions Research Centre, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London; and the International Society against Dowry and Bride Burning in India (ISADABBI).
On Saturday 4 January Dr Anna Lindberg from the University of Pennsylvania (but originally Dept of History, Lund University) will present a paper on ”Can there be Dowry-Related Problems in Progressive Kerala?”
• Conference on Communication for Development at BHU in Varanasi
An International Conference on ”Communication for Development in the Information Age – Extending the Benefits of Technology for All” is arranged at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, on 7–9 January 2003. The conference is organised by the Global Communication Research Association, in cooperation with the Dept of Extension Education at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, BHU; the Indian Society of Extension Education, New Delhi, and the Center for South Asian Studies at Gifu Women’s University, Japan.
• Conference on recent Swedish development research 9–11 January in Lund
A large number of Swedish researchers in Development studies will present their projects/programmes during the conference ”Fattiga och rika. Aktuell utvecklingsforskning och dess villkor i Sverige”, arranged at Lund University 9–11 January, 2003. Prof Keith Griffin from the University of California, Riverside, and Prof Barbara Harriss-White from the Queen Elizabeth House, Oxford University, are specially invited guests. They will discuss ”Meeting the Challenges of Globalisation: Opportunities and Threats for the Developing World” with researchers from Asia and Africa. More information.
• City One – Sarai conference in Delhi on Asian urban experiences
City One, The First South Asian Conference on the urban experience is organised by Sarai, a programme of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi, on 9–11 January, 2003. People working on South Asian city projects, in India and elsewhere. It will be a cross-disciplinary conference, bringing people from different areas (history, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, urban design, architecture, film and media studies) and also include practitioners like architects and urban designers, as well as representatives of urban social movements. More information.
• All India Cultural Studies Workshop for young researchers at Goa
The eighth All India Cultural Studies Workshop will be organised at Goa, India, 17–22 February, 2003. The workshop, which is intended to give young researchers in India and other countries of the South and opportunity to share their work with a selection of senior scholars, is arranged by the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata, but funded jointly by the Danish ENRECA programme, and the Dutch SEPHIS-CSSSC collaboration programme. It is aimed for doctoral and postdoctoral students (preferably under the age of 35) who will be able to present a research paper for discussion. The broad theme for this year’s workshop is ”Citizenship and Identities”, where the aim will be to understand and investigate the centrality of these twin notions in contemporary social and human sciences.
• Workshop for young researchers in the social sciences at Kolkata
The Association Jeunes Etudes Indiennes, AJEI, organizes a workshop for young researchers in the social sciences, in Kolkata, India, 19–20 February, 2003. The theme for the workshop is ”Contemporary perspectives on Identity and Territory in India”.
• Training course on methodological problems in social science research in Asia
PhD students in the Social Sciences are encouraged to apply in a Research training course on ”Solving Methodological Problems in Social Science Research in Asia”, arranged by the Centre of East and Southeast Asian Studies, Lund University, and Nordic Institute for Asian Studies, Copenhagen. The course will be held in Lund and Copenhagen, 17–20 March 2003. A total number of 20 students will be selected for participation. Six Swedish School of Advanced Asia Pacific Studies (SSAAPS) PhD students and another six Swedish PhD students will be wholly financed by SSAAPS. The remaining eight PhD students, six from the other Nordic countries and two from the Asia Alliance (not including South Asia!), will be called upon to seek funding of their own expenses. Application deadline is 31 January 2003.
• Seminar on Religious Mobilisation and Organised Violence in South Asia
A two days seminar on ”Religious Mobilisation and Organised Violence in Contemporary South Asia” will be arranged for Nordic PhD candidates in Roskilde, Denmark, 3–4 April 2003. The seminar is aranged by the Graduate School of International Development Studies, Roskilde University Centre. Deadline for paper submission 15 February, 2003. Read SASNET’s review of the Roskilde seminar (as a pdf-file)
• Workshop on Sufi-based popular Islam in April in Berlin
A workshop on ”Modern adaptations of Sufi-based popular Islam: Concepts, practices and movements in a translocal perspective” is held at the Centre for Modern Oriental Studies, Berlin, 4–5 April, 2003. The workshop includes studies on the Sufi reformist movements in Pakistan. Note, the dates for the conference have been changed! More information.
• The British Association for South Asian Studies, BASAS, arranges its annual conference on 7–9 April, 2003, at Balliol College, Broad Street, University of Oxford. The panels include such issues as: • Partition: Refugees, Resettlement and Rehabilitation; • Contemporary Society and Politics in Uttar Pradesh; • Gender and the South Asian Diaspora; and • Economic Liberalisation, labour and politics. Closing date for paper offers is 31 January 2003. More information.
• The 20th annual meeting of the Sanskrit Tradition in the Modern World (STIMW)
The twentieth STIMW seminar will take place 23–25 May, 2003, at Minsteracres Retreat Centre, a monastery in the Tyne valley near to Newcastle, U.K. The seminar is arranged by the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
• Changed date for global conference on Mountain Ecotourism
The conference is now scheduled to be held at Namche Bazaar, Khumbu, Nepal, on 24–26 May, 2003. The conference is arranged by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation of Nepal, in collaboration with Bridges-PRTD (Projects in Rational Tourism Development), and the Laboratory of Geoecology, Hokkaido University, Japan.
• Halmstad conference on Women and Politics in Asia
An international multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary conference on ”Women and Politics in Asia” will take place at Halmstad University 6–7 June 2003. The aim of the conference is to study different dimensions of Asian women in politics, with contributions from scholars within the social sciences and the humanities from various parts of the world. Abstracts for papers expanding on the central theme, and on other relevant topics, are invited. Deadline for submission: 31 January 2003. The conference is organized jointly by the School of Social and Health Sciences at Halmstad University, the Centre for Asian Studies at Göteborg University, the Centre for East and Southeast Asian Studies at Lund University, and Nordic Institute for Asian Studies, NIAS. More information on the conference website.
• Third International Convention of Asia scholars
The so-called ICAS3 conference will be arranged at Raffles City Convention Centre in Singapore 19–22 August 2003. The convention is organised by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore. Due to the high number of requests, the proposal submission deadline has been extended to 31 January 2003. Proposals on all aspects of Asia research are invited. More information.
• Conference on South Asian History of Religions
A regional conference of the International Association of the History of Religions (IAHR) will be arranged in New Delhi, India, 18–21 December, 2003. The conference, whichs aims to encourage rigorous secular studies of religious traditions in India: Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism, is organised by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), in collaboration with India International Centre. Last date for submission of abstracts is 15 December, 2002. Final date for confirmation of accepted proposals: 31 January 31, 2003.
• More conferences connected to South Asian studies, se SASNET’s page, http://www.sasnet.lu.se/conferences.html
Important lectures and workshops
• Danish symposium on the Future for Environment in Development Assistance
This is arranged by the Danish 92-gruppen, on Friday 31 January, 2003, 9.00–15.30. Venue: Landstingssalen, Christiansborg, Copenhagen. Representatives from several NGO’s will participate besides the Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs Per Stig Møller (kf), other politicians, and representatives from WNF and the European Union.
Summer Schools
• CERES organises Summer school on Faces of Poverty in Amsterdam
A Summer School on ”Faces of Poverty” will be organized in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 23–26 June, 2003. It is arranged by CERES, the National Research School on Resource Studies for Development in the Netherlands, which organizes more than 200 senior social science researchers in this domain together with about 240 PhD students and post-doctoral researchers of whom almost half come from Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The summer school is seen as an occasion to establish or renew contacts with various development institutes across Europe, and it is first and foremost a meeting ground for young (PhD) researchers. At the summer school they can present their findings to each other and to senior staff. The event is comparable to an international conference with submission of abstracts, selection of contributors and paper presentation. Abstracts of papers should be sent to the organizers before 1 March 2003.
News on courses and education
• Masters course in Asian studies at Lund University in 2003/04
The planning for a 60 credits Masters Course (Magisterutbildning) in Asian Studies at Lund University goes ahead. It will start in September 2003, with two separate tracks – one for East and South East Asian studies, and the other for South Asian studies. The courses are currently planned by teachers and researchers in the Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences (assisted by SASNET), in collaboration with the Centre for East and South East Asian Studies at Lund University. Deadline for applications to the courses is 15 April 2003. More information.
• New Masters programme in Development Studies at Uppsala University
The Department of Government, Uppsala University, will start a 60 ECTS-credits (40 Swedish points) Master’s Programme in Development Studies from September 2003. The programme, which partly focuses on South Asia, is designed to attract students with a special interest in development issues, and might be useful for personnel working in the foreign services, aid organisations, the UN, and non-governmental organisations. Application deadline for students with non-Swedish degrees is 15 February 2003, and for students with Swedish degrees 15 April 2003. More information on the course (as a pdf file)
• Maximum number of Indian students in the U.S.
Open Doors 2002, a report published by the Institute of International Education (the leading not-for-profit educational and cultural exchange organization in the United States) informs that, with a 22% increase by Indian students, India has now surpassed China as the leading sending country to American universities. India’s 66,836 students now represent 12% of the total number of international students in the United States. From the other South Asian countries the following number of students were sent to the U.S. last year: Pakistan 8,644; Bangladesh 3,935; Nepal 3,019; Sri Lanka 2,069; Afghanistan 92; Bhutan 78; and the Maldives 16.
New and updated items on SASNET web site
• More Swedish departments where research on South Asia is going on:
Added to the list of research environments at Swedish universities, presented by SASNET. The full list now includes more than 70 departments. Go to the presentation page, http://www.sasnet.lu.se/environment.html.
‡ Department of History, Karlstad University
‡ Department of History, Lund University
• Several new articles recommended for reading
Look at http://www.sasnet.lu.se/recreading.html for suggestions on interesting new articles on South Asia in International media. Many new items added, especially on Pakistan, India, and Nepal.
• Distributors of South Asia related literature
SASNET now presents some selected books distributors which are available on the Internet. See our special page, http://www.sasnet.lu.se/books.html. There you find:
• Manohar Book Services
• NIAS Press
• Zed Books
• Sage Publications India
• South Asia Books, Missouri
• Asian Rare Books
• Bagchee Associates
• Vedams Books
• Three Essays Press
• Nästan Direkt (Books-on-demand)
• Media House, New Delhi
• Abebooks
• South Asia related academic and developmental institutions in South Asia and around the world
SASNET’s link pages to universities and other research institutions expand all the time.
• South Asia related academic institutions around the World are found at http://www.sasnet.lu.se/links.html
• Major universities in South Asia are found at http://www.sasnet.lu.se/university.html
• Other research institutions in South Asia are found at http://www.sasnet.lu.se/sciencesouth.html
• Swedish Developmental organizations working with South Asia are found at http://www.sasnet.lu.se/development.html
• International organisations and development agencies working with South Asia are found at http://www.sasnet.lu.se/international.html
• Political parties and associated organisations in South Asia are found at http://www.sasnet.lu.se/parties.html
• South Asia related developmental and political organisations issuing newsletters and bulletins, are found at http://www.sasnet.lu.se/webnews.html
Cultural Events connected to South Asia in Scandinavia
• Last stop for the exhibition on religions in Sweden
Riksutställningar and SKS has produced an exhibition on ”Gud har 99 namn”, on tour through Sweden. From 4 January, 2003, the exhibition will be shown at Dunkers Kulturhus in Helsingborg. This is the final point on the three years tour. More information.
Best regards, and a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2003
Staffan Lindberg Lars Eklund
SASNET/ Swedish South Asian Studies Network
SASNET is a national network for research, education, and information about South Asia, based at Lund University. The aim is to encourage and promote an open and dynamic networking process, in which Swedish researchers co-operate with researchers in South Asia and globally.
The network is open to all sciences. Priority is given to co-operation between disciplines and across faculties, as well as institutions in the Nordic countries and in South Asia. The basic idea is that South Asian studies will be most fruitfully pursued in co-operation between researchers, working in different institutions with a solid base in their mother disciplines.
The network is financed by Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) and by Lund University.Postal address: SASNET – Swedish South Asian Studies Network, International Office,
Lund University, P O Box 117, S-221 00 Lund
Visiting address: Gamla Kirurgen, Sandgatan 3, first floor, room no. 230
Phone: + 46 46 222 73 40
Fax: + 46 46 222 96 65
E-mail: sasnet@sasnet.lu.se
Web site: http://www.sasnet.lu.seStaff: Staffan Lindberg, director/co-ordinator &
Lars Eklund, webmaster/programme secretary
