SWEDISH SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES NETWORK
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Contents:
SASNET News
• Grants to research, workshops and guest lecture programmes
A total number of 17 applications had been delivered for consideration in the first round of 2006 SASNET grants. On Tuesday 29 August 2006 the SASNET Reference group (consisting of three eminent Nordic South Asia scholars) decided to give networking/planning grants to three research projects, and give financial support to five guest lecture programmes (for inviting a guest lecturer from South Asia to visit more than one Swedish university), and two South Asia related interdisciplinary research workshops (to be held in Sweden or in South Asia). The total amount distributed was 448 000 SEK. More information.
• Anna Lindberg recommended to become new SASNET Director
Three applications were received for the position as Director of SASNET – Swedish South Asian Studies Network, for the period 2007 – 2009. Last date for applications was 15 June 2006. The decision about the position will soon be taken by the Vice-Chancellor of Lund University. At its meeting on 29 August 2006, SASNET’s board decided to recommend the Vice-Chancellor to appoint Assistant Professor Anna Lindberg (photo to the left), Department of History, Penn State University, USA, as Director/Coordinator for SASNET on a 50 % basis from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2009. More information about Anna Lidberg.
• Stockholm workshop about South Asia in the Internationalisation of Higher Education in Sweden
A workshop on the "Role of of South Asia in the Internationalisation of Higher Education in Sweden" is organised in Stockholm 28–29 November 2006. It is jointly organised by SASNET, Karolinska Institutet Medical University and the Swedish Institute, and will take place at Karolinska Institutet, Nobel Forum. The programme will include sessions with experiences from masters programmes and PhD studies in Sweden and in South Asia, and may lead to suggestions for a plan of action to increase academic exchange with South Asia. More information.
• SASNET grants to be distributed only once a year
Besides approving the latest round of SASNET grants, recommending a new Director, and discussing the November workshop, SASNET’s board at its meeting on Tuesday 29 August also decided about other future SASNET activities. An important decision was made regarding the planning grants, that from now on will be distributed only once a year. Deadline for the next round for applications will be 15 June 2007. Read the verified Minutes from the board meeting (as a pdf-file).
• SASNET cultural programme with poetry and music in Lund
Sri Lankan poet Pireeni Sundaralingam and Irish composer/violinist Colm O’Riain (photo to the right), residing in San Fransisco, USA, visit Sweden in the end of September to perform with a program called ”Word and Violin”. SASNET has invited them to Lund to give a performance on Wednesday 27 September 2006, 19.00. In the program Sundaralingam and O’Riain weave together music and word in a series of duets exploring the nature of exile and immigration. Venue: Auditorium (Hörsalen) at Lund University’s Centre for Languages and Literature (SOL-Centrum), Helgonabacken 14, Lund. More information (as a pdf-file)
Research Community News
• Dissertation about Design and Outdoor thermal Comfort in Colombo
Erik Johansson from the Division of Housing Development and Management, Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Lund Institute of Technology, Lund University, defended his doctoral dissertation titled ”Design and Outdoor thermal Comfort in Warm Climates. Studies in Fez and Colombo” on Friday 15 September 2006. Faculty opponent was Prof. Koen Steemers, Director of the Martin Centre for Architectural and Urban Studies, University of Cambridge, UK. The main objective of the research project has been to deepen the knowledge on how urban climate and thermal comfort vary within the studied cities in relation to urban design. In Sri Lanka Johansson worked in cooperation with the University of Moratuwa. More information on the project.
• Dissertation about health-related quality of life in old age in rural Bangladesh
Jan Nilsson, Division of Geriatric Epidemiology; Dept. of Neurobiology, Caring Sciences and Society; Karolinska Institutet Medical University, Stockholm, defended his doctoral dissertation ”Understanding health-related quality of life in old age: A cross-sectional study of elderly people in rural Bangladesh”, on Friday 16 December 2005. It was made within the framework of the PHILL project (Primary Health-Care in Later Life: improving services in Bangladesh and Vietnam), that the Division of Geriatric Epidemiology is involved in. Dr. Nilsson currently works as Regional Health Coordinator för the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), dealing with Japan, China, Mongolia, North and South Korea. He is based in Beijing, China. More information about the thesis.
• Scholars from the Nordic countries discuss Asian studies at Turku conference
A conference titled ”Asian Studies at a Turning Point: Tandem walk or boxing match between social sciences and humanities?” is held at the University of Turku, Finland, 6–7 November 2006. It runs parallell with an Intensive PhD Course for Nordic PhD students in Asian studies, to be held from 5 to 9 November in Turku. The conference sets out to offer a platform for academic dialogue on a wide range of methodological and paradigamatic topics across disciplinary and regional boundaries in Asian studies (including South Asian studies). Scholars from the Nordic countries and beyond are warmly welcomed to join us to make the conference an occasion of cutting-edge scholarly exchange. The conference is organized jointly by the Graduate School of Contemporary Asian Studies and the Centre for East Asian Studies, University of Turku; Nordic NIAS Council; and the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, NIAS. SASNET’s Director, Prof. Staffan Lindberg, will participate in the conference on its second day, in a roundtable discussion about ”Asian Studies in the Nordic Countrie”. More information.
• The Nordic Centre in India organises educational conference in New Delhi
The Nordic Centre in India (NCI) consortium organises a conference titled "The Global University. International collaboration in research and higher education”, in New Delhi, India, 8–10 March 2007. It will focus on India and the new trends in international exchange pertaining to research and higher education. The conference is organised by the Nordic Centre in India, NCI, a consortium of leading universities and research institutions in Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden. The first part of the conference will focus on main trends in globalized knowledge production and exchange, whereas the second part will focus more specifically on Indo-Nordic university exchanges. The conference will also offer a variety of specially designed seminars, business meetings and study visits. Venue: India International Centre, Lodi Estate, New Delhi. More information.
• Endangered Archives Programme offers grants to individual researchers
The Endangered Archives Programme, based at the British Library in London, UK, distribute grants to individual researchers within the fields of humanities and social science, in order for them to identify collections that can be preserved for fruitful use. The original archives will be transferred to a safe archival home in their country of origin, while copies will be deposited at the British Library for use by scholars worldwide. In South Asia, currently a number of projects in Bhutan, India and Nepal are supported by the Endangered Archives Programme (that is generously sponsored by the Lisbet Rausing Charitable Fund). The Programme now accepts applications for the next round of funding, with the deadline for applications being 3 November 2006. More information (as a pdf-file).
• India participation in projects by the Gender and Health Equity Network
The Gender and Health Equity Network, GHEN, is a partnership of national and international organisations concerned with developing and implementing policies to improve gender and health equity, particularly in resource constrained environments. Three countries are participating in the GHEN project: India, China and Mozambique. GHEN began as part of The Global Health Equity Initiative, started by the Swedish International Develoipment Cooperation Agency, Sida, Harvard University and the Rockefeller Foundation. The secretariat is based at the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex University, UK, with support from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. The Network Steering Group is chaired by Professor Gita Sen of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. Go to GHEN’s web page.
• 12th annual Cultural Studies Workshop to be held in Hyderabad, India
The Centre for Studies in Social Sciences (CSSSC) in Kolkata, India, in collaboration with the Ford Foundation, ENRECA (Denmark) and SEPHIS (the Netherlands) will hold its 12th annual Cultural Studies Workshop from 28 January 2006 to 2 February 2007, in Hyderabad, India. The broad theme for this year’s workshop is ”Political Cultures”. It is intended to give young researchers an opportunity to share their work with senior scholars in the field, including some of the faculty of the CSSSC. It is aimed at Indian doctoral or post-doctoral students. International participants are also invited from countries of the South: their airfare and local hospitality will be covered by the CSSSC in collaboration with SEPHIS. More information.
• NCI organises course in Bangalore on Environment in India
The Nordic Centre in India consortium organises, in collaboration with the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) in Bangalore, a four-weeks course for graduate and post-graduate students from the Nordic countries, titled “Approaching the Environment in India” 3–31 January 2007. It is a multi-disciplinary course that seeks to introduce students to recent theories and methods in the study of contemporary environmental issues in India. Apply directly to NCI before 15 October 2006. More information.
• Demography, Gender and Reproductive Health theme for NCI course in Mumbai
NCI also invites applications for a a five week intensive course in Mumbai on “Demography, Gender and Reproductive Health”, 3 January – 4 February 2007. It is an an introduction to population studies in India, organised by the International Institute for Population Science (IIPS) in Mumbai in collaboration with NCI. The course is a multi-disciplinary course that is open for under-graduate and graduate students from the Nordic countries. Apply directly to NCI before 15 October 2006. More information.
• Lund workshop about Indian Religions in the Nordic Countries
A Nordic workshop about ”Indian Religions in the Nordic Countries” was held in Copenhagen in September 2005. It was jointly organised by the Indic Religions division, Lund University and the Dept. of History of Religion, Institute for Intercultural and Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen, and was arranged as part of an ongoing Nordic project called ”Nordisk orientalism – indiska religioner i Norden”, including researchers from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. Another Nordic workshop is now planned to be held in Lund on 8 December 2006. More information to be given by Professor Olle Qvarnström.
• Lund University offers doctoral studentship to fund a Indic Religions PhD candidate
The Centre for Theology and Religious Studies at Lund University announces a doctoral studentship to fund a PhD candidate within the field of History of Religion (including Indic Religions, studied at the Division of Indic Religions), to be launched from 1 February 2007. Deadline for applications is Monday 2 October 2006. More information to be had from the Director of studies, Jan Hermansson.
• Three tenure track positions advertised at York University, Canada
The Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University, Ontario, Canada, advertises for three tenure track positions this year. The three positions are for an Assistant Professorship in Environmental Policy and Climate Change; an Assistant Professorship in Indigenous Peoples and Globalization; and an Assistant Professorship in Local Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture. All positions are to start from 1 July 2007. Candidates must hold a PhD degree in a relevant field by the time of appointment or have equivalent academic or professional experience. Deadlines for the positions are 20 November 2006; 4 December 2006; and 8 January 2007 respectively.
• New address for Sida in Stockholm
On Monday 18 September 2006 the Swedish Agency for International Development Cooperation, Sida, moved to new premises at Valhallavägen 199 in Stockholm. Till now Sida has been located at Sveavägen in the city centre of Stockholm. The move will save SEK 17 million a year. The premises at Valhallavägen formerly housed Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design. More information (in Swedish only).
Conferences and courses
• 2nd South Asian Conference on Sanitation in Islamabad
The 2nd South Asian Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN-2) is held in Islamabad, Pakistan, 20–21 September 2006. The overall goal of the Conference is to accelerate the progress of sanitation and hygiene work in the South Asia so as to enhance its peoples' quality of life in fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals and the commitments made in the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Venue: Marriot Hotel, Islamabad.
• Gilleleje conference on New Asian Dynamics in Science, Technology and Innovation
A Nordic conference called ”New Asian Dynamics in Science, Technology and Innovation” will be held in Gilleleje, Denmark, 27–29 September 2006. The aim is to assess Asia's innovative potential and the implications for the Nordic countries and Europe, and it is organised by the Swedish School of Advanced Asia-Pacific Studies (SSAAPS) in cooperation with among others the Copenhagen Business School and the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies in Copenhagen. Gilleleje Kursuscenter, Gilleleje (north of Copenhagen). More information.
• Stockholm conference on Gender and Health equity in resource poor settings
An International conference titled ”New findings on gender and health equity in resource poor settings” is held in Stockholm on Friday 6 October 2006, 9–17. It is jointly organised by the Swedish International Develoipment Cooperation Agency, Sida and the Gender and Health Equity Network, GHEN. The conference will focus on innovative methods for improving gender and health equity in resource poor environments. Evidence shows that gender inequities in health can be reduced. New methods have been developed and successfully implemented by the GHEN international team of researchers and activists in India, China and Mozambique. Professor Gita Sen from Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore, India, will be the keynote speaker. She is chairing GHEN’s network steering group. Venue: Sida, Valhallavägen 199, Stockholm. More information.
• Copenhagen conference on Gender and Religion in Global Perspectives
An International Conference on ”Gender and Religion in Global Perspectives” is held in Copenhagen 26–28 October 2006. The conference discusses whether gender and ideas about gender roles have been used and misused in religious revivals, and aims at bridging gender and religious studies and at transforming scholarship and reflection in both current and historical perspectives. More than 50 research papers, some with South Asia focus, will be presented. It is organised by the Research Priority Area: Religion in the 21st Century, and the Co-ordination for Gender Studies in Denmark. Venue: University of Copenhagen, Ø. Farimagsgade 5 A. More information.
• The Private Sector, Poverty Reduction and International Development theme for 2006 DSA conference
The Development Studies Association (DSA) in Great Britain holds its 2006 Conference in Reading on Saturday 11 November. The theme for the DSA 2006 conference is “The Private Sector, Poverty Reduction and International Development”. Jointly organised by the School of Business and the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, the conference will be located on the University of Reading’s Whiteknights Campus. Keynote Speaker is Abdoulie Janneh, UN Under Secretary General and Director of UN-ECA.
• BASAS Annual workshop to be held in Bath
The British Association for South Asian Studies, BASAS, invites for its Annual Workshop 2006, to be held in Bath, UK, on Wednesday 22 November 2006. The theme for the workshop will be ”Development and/in South Asia: Ideas, Policies, Practice”, and it seeks to explore a number of issues including the myriad ways in which the development discourse is made sense of within South Asia. The Centre For Development Studies (CDS) within the Dept. of Economics and International Development, University of Bath, hosts the workshop. The workshop is free of charge. However, the room has a limited capacity so participants will need to register their attendance with Ipshita Basu. The conference has limited funding and the organisers would aim to cover the travel cost (within UK only) for speakers and discussants. Overseas speakers will be reimbursed the cost of within UK travel and will have to secure their own funding for travel to and from the UK. Paper Deadline: Monday 25th September 2006. More information.
• GADNET organises global conference in New Delhi
The Swedish research network GADNET, Gender and Development Network, organises a Global conference on ”A World in Transition – New Challenges for Gender Justice” in New Delhi, India, 13–15 December 2006. It is organised in collaboration with the Centre for Women’s Development Studies (CWDS) in New Delhi. Several Swedish gender studies researchers will present papers at the conference. Keynote speakers include Prof. Naila Kabeer, Institute of Development Studies, Sussex, UK, and Prof. Björn Hettne, Dept. of Pace and Development Studies (PADRIGU), Göteborg University. Deadline for sending papers is 16 October 2006.
• Ninth Sustainable Development Conference in Islamabad
The Ninth Sustainable Development Conference is held in Islamabad, Pakistan, 13–15 December 2006. The theme for the conference, organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in Islamabad will be ”Missing Links in Sustainable Development: South Asian Perspectives”. Seven subthemes have been decided upon: Globalization, Gender, Peace and People’s Rights, Education, Environment, Social Sciences, and Health, with several panels within each category. Panels cover issues on a broad spectrum, from ”Trade and sustainable development: The WTO needs a new face” to ”Cotton pickers: Blind spot in South Asia's textile industry”. and ”Forest degradation, resource rights and livelihoods: The institutional context”. Papers should be submitted before 2 October 2006. More information.
• International conference on Rabindranath Tagore’s importance today
An International Conference titled "Creative Unity in Multiplicity: Tagore for the Twenty-first Century" is held in New Delhi, India 23–25 March 2007. It is organised by the India International Centre, and is planned in an experimental manner, with the aim to promote the relevance of Rabindranath Tagore's holistic world vision to our times. Instead of the usual academic papers, it will feature lecture-demonstrations and presentations supported by live performance, multimedia or audiovisual input with the intention of reaching out to the ordinary intelligent layperson rather than to the scholar.
• London conference on South Asia during the period 1947-1977
A conference titled ”Beyond Independence: South Asia, 1947-1977” is held in London, UK, 11–12 April 2007. It is arranged by the Royal Holloway College at University of London. Venue: Royal Holloway campus, located outside London in Egham, Surrey. On the eve of the sixtieth anniversary of independence, the conference will present an opportune moment to assess the three decades which followed Independence and Partition. From 1947 to1977 the first generation of citizens were fashioned in the newly created states of South Asia. Historians, political scientists, historical geographers and anthropologists concerned with the social and cultural life of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan from 1947-1977 are invited.
• Bangkok conference on religious syncretism in South and South East Asia
An International conference on ”Syncretism in South and South East Asia: Adoption and Adaptation” will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, 24–27 may 2007. It is jointly organised by the India based South and Southeast Asian Association for the Study of Culture and Religion (SSEASR), and the International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR). A number of Thai institutions host the conference, among them the Institute of Language and Culture for Rural Development at Mahidol University. The conference will focus on issues such as the ethnic Mosaic of the region; syncretic systems in South and Southeast Asia; language and literature; women and religion; Diaspora studies; Religion: Violence and Dialogue; and Religion and Ecology. Since 2007 is the 2550th Anniversary of Buddhism, the organisers particularly invite scholars and papers dealing with Buddhism. More information.
• Researchers on Central Asia meet in Ankara
The Tenth Conference of the European Society for Central Asian Studies (ESCAS) will be held in Ankara, Turkey, 13–15 September 2007. The theme for the conference, organized by the Center for Black Sea and Central Asia at the the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, will be ”Sharing Experiences and Prospects”. Panels include topics relating to all aspects of humanities and social sciences on Central Asia, including: Geopolitics of Central Asia, Central Asian history at crossroads, and Re-thinking Central Asian research – new concepts, new approaches. The geographic domain of Central Asia according to the definition of the ESCAS includes the northern parts of Afghanistan. More information.
• Other conferences connected to South Asian studies arranged all over the World
See SASNET’s page, http://www.sasnet.lu.se/conferences.html#conf
Important lectures and workshops
• Seminar about strategy for Norwegian environmental cooperation with Asia
An open one-day seminar titled ”Strategy for Norwegian Environmental Cooperation with Asia” is held in Oslo on Wednesday 20 September 2006, 9.00–16.00. It is organised by Fridtjof Nansens Institutt (FNI) and aims at identifying which contributions Norway can offer Asia on environmental issues. Among the presentattions during the day several deal with South Asia, e g one by Guro Aandahl from SUM who will talk about ”Globalisation and Climate Changes: Challenges for Indian Agriculture. The researcher Regine Andersen from FNI will talk about ”New ways to administer Plant Genetics resources: Experiences from India”. Venue: FNI; Polhøgda, Fritiof Nansens vei 17, Lysaker. More information (as a pdf-file).
• Anthony P. D ’Costa lectures at Lund University
Professor Anthony P. D ’Costa, University of Washington, Tacoma, USA, will hold a guest lecture about ”The New Economy in Development: ICT Challenges and Opportunities” at Lund University on Friday 22 September 2006, 11.00–13.00. D’Costa is Professor in Comparative International Development and works with political economy of development, industrialization and innovations – particularly in South Asia (India) but also in East Asia (Japan and China). He has been invited to Scandinavia by the Nordic Institute for Asian Studies in Copenhagen in order to participate in the NIAS conference called ”New Asian Dynamics in Science, Technology and Innovation”. Venue: Hanlin Hall, Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Scheelevägen 15, Lund. More information (as a pdf file).
• Oslo lecture about Punjabi families in Norway
Torkel Brekke from the Dept. of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages (IKOS), and Narpinder Singh, Rikshospitalet, will lecture in Oslo about ”Birth ratios, sex balance and attitudes towards girls among Punjabi families in Norway”, on Monday 25 September 2006, 14.15–16.00. The lecture is part of a seminar series organised by University of Oslo’s Culcom (Cultural Complexity in the New Norway) programme. Venue: Georg Sverdrups hus, room 2, third floor.
• Harold F. Schiffman holds CPAS lecture about language conflicts in Afghanistan
Harold F. Schiffman, Professor of Dravidian Linguistics and Culture, South Asia Studies Department at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, holds a CPAS lecture about ”Language Policy and Language Conflict in Afghanistan and Neighboring States" in Stockholm on Wednesday 27 September 2006, 15–17. It is part of lecture series that the Center for Pacific Asia Studies (CPAS) organises every week. Venue: Hall B, Dept. of Oriental Languages, Stockholm University, Kräftriket 4.
• Kenneth Hermele lectures about the future of the World Bank
Kenneth Hermele holds a LUCSUS seminar about the ”Future of the World Bank and the IMF” at Lund University on Thursday 28 September 2006, 13.15–15.00. Hermele is both an economist and lecturer in Development Economics at Växjö University, and lecturer in Ecological Economics at the Human Ecology Division, Lund University. The World Bank and the IMF, which were created 60 years ago in order to finance development after World War II and secure financial stability, have during the last decades been severely criticized for going against their original mandates. Today, the discussion is no longer IF they should reform but HOW. The seminar is organised by Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS) and AGESI – Arena for Global Equity and Sustainable Issues. Venue: Geocentrum I, Sölvegatan 10, 1st floor, Lund. More information.
• Copenhagen lecture about Legal Culture of Pakistan
Dr. Muhammad Azam Chaudhary, Assistant Professor in Anthropology at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan, lectures about ”Legal Culture of Pakistan: A comparative perspective” at Copenhagen University on Monday 2 October 2006, 13.00–15.00. It is part of the lectures series titled ”Religion and Law in Multicultural Societies”, that Rubya Mehdi and Erik Reenberg Sand, University of Copenhagen, organises during the Fall 2006. The lectures not only consist of examples from various Western contexts, but also comparative examples from a few post-colonial, non-Western societies with a long experience in dealing with problems relating to multiculturalism and religious pluralism. Venue: Auditorium U5, Snorresgade 17-19, Copenhagen.
• Stockholm seminar about Biotechnology for developing countries
Rev. Leo D’Souza from the Laboratory of Applied Biology, St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, India, holds a special seminar about ”Biotechnology for developing countries” in Stockholm on Wednesday 4 October 2006, 14.00. The seminar is organised by the Dept. of Materials Science at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). Venue: Seminar room, 4th floor, Brinellvägen 23, Stockholm. More information (as a pdf-file).
• Klaus Ferdinand and his research theme for Copenhagen lecture
Birthe Frederiksen and Gorm Pedersen lecture about ”Expansion, transformation og migration: Klaus Ferdinand og dansk forskning i Afghanistans nomader” in Copenhagen on Thursday 5 October 2006, 17–19. The lecture is organised by the Danish Society for Central Asia, and is part of a series of lectures carried out during 2006. Venue: Auditorium U3, Carsten Niebuhr Division, University of Copenhagen, Snorres gade 17–19, Copenhagen. More information.
• Uppsala workshop about Swedish Development Research – caught between disciplines
A panel discussion and a workshop titled ”Development Research – caught between disciplines?” will be held at Uppsala University on Friday 6 October 2006, 9.15–18.00. It is organised by the Seminar for Development Studies (SDS), and the Centre for Environment and Development Studies (Cemus). The theme for the workshop is the fact that even though it has established itself internationally as an important research agenda, the field of development studies tends to have a marginal existence at Swedish universities. Commonly, PhD students and researchers within this broad field find themselves quite alone at their respective departments. With this workshop, PhD students from different disciplines willl be able to meet, share experiences and discuss ways to create common support. The workshop begins with a panel discussion, open to all with an interest in development related research, where the speakers focus on the past, present and future state of development research. The second part of the day is open only to participants who have registered in advance, by sending in short abstracts of their research projects to the organizers. Deadline for registration is 29 September. Venue: Geocentrum, room: Norrland II, Villavägen 16, Uppsala. More information.
• Stockholm lecture about women tea plantation workers in North Bengal
Dr. Sanchari Roy Mukherjee, Director for the Centre for Women's Studies, North Bengal University, Siliguri, India, lectures in Stockholm about ”Women's Workforce participation: A Case Study of the Women Tea Plantation Workers in North Bengal” on Friday 6 October 2006, 11.30–12.30. The lunch seminar is arranged by the Program for Gender Studies at the Swedish National Defence College, that has initiated a collaboration with Dr. Mukherjeee’s research centre in the northern part of the Indian state of West Bengal. Venue: Leijonsköldska Salen, Swedish National Defence College, Drottning Kristinas väg 37, Stockholm. Those who like to participate must register before 2 October.
• Copenhagen lecture about State and Religious Laws: The Case of India
Erik Reenberg Sand, Dept. of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen lectures about ”State and Religious Laws: The Case of India” at Copenhagen University on Monday 9 October 2006, 13.00–15.00. It is part of the lectures series titled ”Religion and Law in Multicultural Societies”, that Rubya Mehdi and Erik Reenberg Sand, University of Copenhagen, organises during the Fall 2006. The lectures not only consist of examples from various Western contexts, but also comparative examples from a few post-colonial, non-Western societies with a long experience in dealing with problems relating to multiculturalism and religious pluralism. Venue: Auditorium U5, Snorresgade 17-19, Copenhagen.
• Ethics of War theme for Torkel Brekke’s lecture at Lund University
Dr. Torkel Brekke from the Dept. of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages (IKOS), University of Oslo, lectures at Lund University on Monday 11 October 2006, 18.15. Brekke will talk about ”Ethics of War – A Comparison between Christian Just War Tradition and South Asian Ethical Traditions”. It is organised by the Indic Religions division within the Dept. of History of Religions, Centre for Theology and Religious Studies (CTR) at Lund University. Venue: CTR, room 118, Allhelgona Kyrkogata 5, Lund.
• Lund seminar about Depletion of Oceanic Fish Stocks
A whole day seminar about ”Depletion of Oceanic Fish Stocks” will be held at Lund University Thursday 19 October 2006, 10.00–17.00. It is the last one in a series of seminars titled ”Seven Challenges for Sustainability” being arranged during the past year. The seminar deals with marine fishing and sustainability issues, and a panel of researchers and stake holders are invited to give lectures and to debate on this important topic for a global sustainable development. Among the invited guests are Olof Lindén, Professor in Marine Environmental Management at the World Maritime University in Malmö. The seminar is organised by Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS) and AGESI – Arena for Global Equity and Sustainable Issues. Venue: Lecture Hall Världen, Geocentrum I, Sölvegatan 10, 1st floor, Lund. More information.
• Copenhagen lecture about Nuristani music
Christer Irgens-Møller lectures about ”Musik fra Nuristan: Unikke materialer indsamlet på danske ekspeditioner till Afghanistan” in Copenhagen on Thursday 26 October 2006, 17–19. The lecture is organised by the Danish Society for Central Asia, and is part of a series of lectures carried out during 2006. Venue: Auditorium U3, Carsten Niebuhr Division, University of Copenhagen, Snorres gade 17–19, Copenhagen. More information.
• Lund University lecture about NGOs as agents of change in rural Bangladesh
Malin Arvidson, Dept. of Sociology, Lund University, lectures on ”Unlike the state: NGOs as agents of change in rural Bangladesh” in Lund on Thursday 9 November 2006, 13.15–15.00. She will discuss the NGO sector in Bangladesh, renowned for its size and groundbreaking actions such as empowerment of women through micro-credits, and how the sector has contributed to a generally strengthened civil society. The seminar is organised by the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS). Venue: Lecture Hall Världen, Geocentrum I, Sölvegatan 10, 1st floor, Lund. More information.
• Copenhagen lecture about the Kalasha people in Pakistan
Jan Heegård and Jørgen Rischel lecture about ”Kalasha-folket og danskerne” in Copenhagen on Thursday 9 November 2006, 17–19. The lecture is organised by the Danish Society for Central Asia, and is part of a series of lectures carried out during 2006. Venue: Auditorium U3, Carsten Niebuhr Division, University of Copenhagen, Snorres gade 17–19, Copenhagen. More information.
South Asia related culture in Scandinavia
• Several Indian writers visit Göteborg Book Fair 2006
In September 2006 the so-called Indian Library in Sweden (Indienbiblioteket) again publishes a number of books, and introduces the writers at the Göteborg Book Fair (Bok- och Biblioteksmässan), to be held 21–24 September. Indienbiblioteket, an outcome of the Indo-Swedish translation project funded by Sida, has been responsible for a number of new publications almost every year since it was formally launched in 2001. Three new books – a novel by Anita Agnihotri (photo to the right) and two anthologies with Dalit literature – are launched during the 2006 Book Fair. A large number of seminars and presentations will be given. Venue: Svenska Mässan, Korsvägen, Göteborg. More information
• Focus on Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal at Göteborg Book Fair
Several other South Asia related writers and journalists also participate in the 2006 Book Fair in Göteborg. They are mostly taking part in seminars and presentations (held at different occasions during the period Thursday 21 – Sunday 24 September) arranged by Internationella Torget – a section at the fair being organised by Swedish developmental organisations such as Sida, International IDEA, and the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan. Among the visiting guest are Waheed Warasta, Sharifa Sharif, Soraya Paktiani (photo to the right) and Shakeb Isaar from Afghanistan, discussing the limits of freedom of expresision in their home country, and Sunandra Deshapriya from Sri Lanka who will talk about ”Biased reporting in Sri Lankan media”. Leena Rikkilä from the International IDEA will lecture about ”Democracy in Nepal?”. Venue: Hall H, Svenska Mässan, Korsvägen, Göteborg. Go for Internationella Torget’s programme.
• Cultural programme with Indian writers in Stockholm
After visiting the Göteborg Book Fair the Indian authors Anita Agnihotri and Urmila Pawar will participate in a cultural programme in Stockholm on Monday 25 September 2006, 18.00. It is titled ”Ett annat Indien” and also features the book illustrator Savi Sawarkar (photo to the left). The Dalit activist and researcher Vimal Thorat from Indira Gandhi Open University, New Delhi, India, and Dr. Eva-Maria Hardtmann, Dept. of Social Anthropology, Stockholm University, who have edited the anthology with Dalit literature, also participate. in the programme being organised by the Indian Library in collaboration with the literary magazine Karavan and Barnängens världsbibliotek. Venue: Solidaritetshuset, Tegelviksgatan 40, Stockholm. More information.
• Bharata Natyam performance in Oslo with Narthaki Nataraj
The Bharata Natyam artist Narthaki Nataraj from Chennai, India, gives a performance in Oslo on Monday 2 October 2006, 16.00. Venue: Oslo musikk- og kulturskole, Tøyenbekken 5. Narthaki is a dancer belonging to the ”third gender”, and one of the few from this group who has escaped a very difficult situation in India. She is considered to be a top grade artist in contemporary Bharata Natyam, that owes its origin to the dances that were performed in the temples of Tanjore – the capital of many ancient Tamil Kingdoms. Ms Narthaki was trained by Mr. Kittappa Pillai, great master of the so-called Tanjore Nayaki Bhava tradition, the original dance form. More information (as a pdf-file).
• India Guest of Honour Country at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2006
The Frankfurt Book Fair 2006, to be held 4 – 8 October, has India as the Guest of Honour Country. Authors who write in English or any of 24 main languages of India will come to Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany, the major book fair of the world. Visits by authors, presentations and readings will be hosted, featuring distinguished writers such as Vikram Seth, Amitabh Ghosh, Arundhati Roy, Mahashweta Devi, Vinod Kumar Shukla, Kunwar Narayin, G.P. Deshpande, Shaharyar, Javed Akhtar and K. Jayakantan.
• Three months Festival of India to be inaugurated in Brussels
Fifteen years after the previous ”Festival of India” was held in Germany (and 20 years since the 1987 ”Festival of India in Sweden”) the 'Cultural India' again takes wings, this time at the European Union capital Brussels, from 7 October 2006 to 21 January 2007. 15 centuries of iconic Indian heritage will be packaged for the 21st century Europe. Congress President Sonia Gandhi who heads the Indian delegation will inaugurate 'Tejas' – central event of the new 'Festival of India' – an 108-event cultural extravaganza exhibition that encapsulates more than 200 artefacts from 12 Indian museums.
During the three months of festival, Brussels will be invaded by Indian cinema, theatre, art, dance, literature, and music. A large number of the greatest now living artists will come to Belgium, including Asha Bhosle, Dr. N. Rajam, Hariprasad Chaurasia and Zakir Hussain. On the inauguration day, Saturday 7 October, concerts will be given by the Dagar brothers (photo above) – maestros of dhrupad music, Alarmel Valli, Sheikh Mahaboob Subhani, Talvin Singh, chhau dancers from Purulia, drummers from West Bengal, and many others. The festival is organised by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Centre for Fine Arts (BOZAR) in Brussels, and it will also comprise fashion shows, food festivals, workshops, seminars and talks by eminent writers.
New and updated items on SASNET web site
• More Swedish departments where research on South Asia is going on:
Constantly added to the list of research environments at Swedish universities, presented by SASNET. The full list now includes 188 departments! Go to the presentation page.
ƒ WHO Collaborating Centre for Education, Training & Research in Oral Health, Faculty of Odontology, Malmö 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.
• New books recommended for reading
Look at http://www.sasnet.lu.se/newbooks.html
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 D, S-223 70 Lund, Sweden
Visiting address: Ideon Research Park, House Alfa 1 (first floor, room no. 2040), 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/coordinator & Lars Eklund, webmaster/deputy director
