SWEDISH SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES NETWORK
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Contents:
SASNET News:
• SASNET contact journey to Pakistan and Afghanistan
The SASNET director Professor Staffan Lindberg, and deputy director/webmaster Lars Eklund have successfully completed a contact journey to Pakistan and Afghanistan (photo from Kabul above) lasting from Thursday 20 November – Sunday 7 December 2003. The aim of the tour was to link up the SASNET activities with universities and research institutions in the two countries, They visited Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore in Pakistan; and Kabul in Afghanistan. It turned out to be an extremely fruitful journey, both building on the already existing academic links between a few researchers/institutions in Sweden and Pakistan, and promoting new forms of cooperation there as well as in Afghanistan. Full reports on the journey will appear on the SASNET web site in January 2004.
Limitations in changes of the web site due to the webmaster’s absence
SASNET takes a pride in updating its website daily and keeping the best record of coming conferences/important lectures in Scandinavia. During December will the site however be less updated. This is because the webmaster, Lars Eklund, takes out his holiday in his beloved second hometown Kolkata. It means that minor faults are not possible to correct during his absence. But the SASNET Director, Staffan Lindberg (photo from Islamabad to the left), is back in office from Tuesday 9 December. Contact him at Staffan.Lindberg@soc.lu.se
• Schedules fixed for the panels to the 18th EASAS conference
The 18th European Conference on Modern South Asian Studies, organized by SASNET and Lund University, 6–9 July 2004, will have a total number of 49 panels, covering a wide scope of research fields. Please note that individual researchers who like to present papers at the 18th EASAS conference should contact the convenor of the panel into which his/her paper fits. Each panel has a convenor who organizes the panel autonomously. All communications regarding the panels content should therefore be directed directly to the panel organizers, and not to the executive conference committee. Last date for registration and submission of papers is 1 February 2004. The schedules are now fixed. Go for the panels schedules page with links to abstracts.
• Registration to the conference before 1 February 2004
Last date for registration to the 18th EASAS conference is 1 February 2004. A registration form, which includes details on how to pay the conference fee, is available at the conference web page, http://www.sasnet.lu.se/EASAS18.html
• Limited number of travel and accommodation grants available
Two categories of participants to the 18th EASAS conference in Lund are eligible to apply for the limited number of travel and accommodation grants available, namely:
1/ Panel convenors from South Asia and Eastern Europe who need financial support to attend the conference; and
2/ Younger researchers from South Asia and Eastern Europe who need financial support to attend the conference, and has got his/her paper accepted by a panel (maximum one scholarship per panel).
The applying panel convenor or young researcher, should submit a copy of the paper that has been accepted for the conference, along with his/her CV, and a confirmation that the paper has been accepted by a panel. Applications have to reach the secretariat, by e-mail (sasnet@sasnet.lu.se) or by post (SASNET, Scheelevagen 15, SE-223 70 Lund, Sweden) no later than 1 February 2004, which is also the closing date for registration.
The grants consist of getting flight tickets to and from Lund, plus food and accommodation during the conference period. Only few travel and accommodation grants are available, and we therefore advise anybody who really desires to participate in the conference to secure funding from other sources.
• Hotel accommodation for participants to the 18th EASAS conference
The conference will arrange lodging only for those persons who receive a travel and accommodation grant to attend. Other participants must arrange and pay for their own lodging. There are however several alternatives for accommodation.
Rooms have been booked in advance for participants in the 18th EASAS conference at all hotels in town. When making the final reservation you should therefore mention the booking code mentioned in SASNET’s directory of hotels and youth hostels available at Lund.
Community News:
• The Faculties of Humanities and Theology at Lund University has now announced the new professorship in History of Religions, concentrated on the Indic religions Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The position will be appointed from 1 July 2004. More information on the Section of Indic Religions at Lund University. Last date for applying for the position is Friday 9 January 2004. More information, as a pdf-file (only in Swedish).
• The Center on International Cooperation (CIC) of New York University, in collaboration with partners in Kabul, has been working to establish an Institute for Social and Economic Policy Research in Afghanistan. This institute will be an Afghan-owned and run center for policy-related research and training focused on the reconstruction of the country. CIC now invites proposals for research projects, focusing on issues important for the reconstruction of Afghanistan. It should be led by a qualified research professional, preferably of Afghan origin, who can work in Afghanistan with an Afghan staff, and have a budget of under 15,000 US-dollars. Proposals should be sent to Barnett R. Rubin, Director of Studies, Center on International Cooperation, New York University, U.S.
• The new Indian book publisher Witness Books, based at Panaji, Goa, invites scholars from all faculties associated with SASNET to publish their manuscripts. Witness Books has during the last year committed itself to publishing intellectually engaging titles in arts, science and social sciences, which impact on the present social, political and scientific environment. 10 p.c. royalty will be paid annually for both paperbacks and hardbacks. Those who are interested should contact the publishers directly.
Conferences and courses
• Norwegian conference on Evaluating Research Results from the South
The Second NETREED Conference with the theme ”Communicating and Evaluating Research Results from the South” will take place 8–10 December 2003 at Gausdal Høifjellshotell, Norway. NETREED is a network of individuals and institutions based in Norway, who do research and evaluation on education and development (with a focus on developing countries). Key note speaker at the conference will be Dr. Iffat Farah from the Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. The theme of the conference is chosen in order to get a wide discussion and different perspectives on research results of researchers in the North doing research in countries in the South. There will also be a debate on ethical questions and dilemmas for those working as researchers on the one hand and as evaluators on the other hand. Paper presentations by graduate students, researchers, evaluators and representatives from NGO's will be organised in parallell sessions.
• International Conference on business management of developing countries in Sri Lanka
The first International Conference on business management of developing countries, with the theme ”From information to knowledge to competencies: Key success factors for innovation and sustainable development” is held at the University of Sri Jayewardenapura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka 11–12 December 2003. The conference is organized by the university’s Faculty of Management and Commerce.
• International Conference on Women and Migration in Asia in New Delhi
An International Conference on ”Women and Migration in Asia” is held at New Delhi, India 10–13 December 2003. The conference is organized by the Developing Countries Research Centre, DCRC, at the University of Delhi, and has the ambition to bring together scholars from across Asia and other countries working in the broad thematic area of Women and Migration.
• International conference on the studies of religious traditions in India at New Delhi
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.
• Indian History Congress holds its 64th Annual Session in Mysore
The Indian History Congress (IHC) will hold its 64th Annual Session in Mysore, Karnataka, 28–30 December 2003. As ususal there will be five panels sections, for 1. Ancient India, 2. Medieval India, 3. Modern India, 4. History of Countries other than India, and 5. Archaeology. Besides this the IHC, which is the oldest and one of the most prestigious academic organizations in India, proposes to hold a special panel on the ”History of Information and Communication Technologies in India” during the session. Eminent scholars from history and related disciplines would be presenting papers in it and the IHC has plans for publication of a volume with selected papers.
• International conference on ”Conflict, Peace and Development in South Asia” at Colombo
An International conference on ”Conflict, Peace and Development in South Asia” is held at Colombo, Sri Lanka, 8–10 January 2004. The conference is arranged by School of Management, Binghamton University, New York State, USA, in cooperation with the the International Center for Conflict Prevention and Management, Sydney, Australia. More information (as a pdf file).
• More conferences connected to South Asian studies, see SASNET’s page, http://www.sasnet.lu.se/conferences.html#conf
Best regards
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, Scheelevägen 15 B, S-223 70 Lund, Sweden
Visiting address: Ideon Research Park, House Alfa 1 (first floor, room no. 2042), in the premises of the Centre for East and South East Asian Studies at Lund University (ACE).
Phone: + 46 46 222 73 40
Fax: + 46 46 222 30 41
E-mail: sasnet@sasnet.lu.se
Web site: http://www.sasnet.lu.se
Staff: Staffan Lindberg, director/co-ordinator & Lars Eklund, webmaster/deputy director
