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South Asia Center, Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington

A Year in Review: 2023-24 | Highlights

July 2, 2024

Photos from South Asia events through the 2023-24 academic year

As we come to the end of yet another eventful year, the South Asia Center would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to each of you for the myriad ways in which you have engaged with and enriched the South Asia Center. Without you, we would not be the intellectually and culturally vibrant hub of teaching, research, and public outreach that we are. It is your continued support that allows us to fulfill our commitment to deepening and widening public understanding of the histories, politics, cultures, economies, languages, religions, and societies of South Asia. For this, we are deeply appreciative. We hope you will enjoy perusing the highlights below.

Congratulations Graduates!

The South Asia Center congratulates the 2024 graduates of the M.A. in International Studies (South Asia) and affiliated South Asia Studies programs!

Abdulwajid Abdulwahid, M.A. in International Studies (South Asia)
Amalie Goul Dueholm, Ph.D. in Cinema and Media Studies
Farrah Hasan, M.M.A. in Marine and Environmental Affairs
Erin Keoppen, Ph.D. in Communication
Kaya Mallick, M.A. in International Studies (South Asia)
Sanahadbegam Shaikh, M.A. in International Studies (South Asia)
Musa Subramaniam, M.A. in International Studies (South Asia)

Read more →

A Community of Scholars and Students

This year, we welcomed two new faculty members to the South Asia Studies community at the University of Washington. Kavita Dattani, a feminist researcher of digital technologies and data, joined as Assistant Professor in the Department of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies. In the Department of History, Aditya Ramesh, a historian of science, technology, and the environment in South Asia, joined as Assistant Professor.

In the Department of Asian Languages & Literature, a generous gift from Hanuma and Anuradha Kodavalla established the Hanuma and Anuradha Kodavalla Endowed Chair in Telugu at the University of Washington. By enhancing the university’s ability to recruit and retain faculty with expertise in Telugu language, culture, and literature, the endowment ensures that Telugu will be treasured for many years to come.

Hanuma and Anuradha Kodavalla

South Asia Studies faculty published scholarly works across a range of topics and disciplines, from new directions in Kashmir studies, preservation, and urban planning in Chandigarh, and gender, culture, and politics across South Asia.

Graduate students affiliated with the South Asia Center received numerous fellowships, grants, and other opportunities to pursue the advanced study of South Asia.

Student award highlights:

Ashfaq Ahmed (Ph.D., International Studies) – Graduate School Chester Fritz International Research and Study Fellowship

Farrah Hasan (M.M.A., Marine and Environmental Affairs) – Research Communication and Equity Fellowship, University of Washington Libraries

Saad Khan (Ph.D., Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies) – Nancy C. M. Hartsock Graduate Student Prize

Kaya Mallick (M.A., International Studies) – Fulbright-Nehru Student Research Fellowship

Ananya Sikand (Ph.D., Art History) – 2023-24 Society of Scholars, Simpson Center for the Humanities

Kyle Trembley (Ph.D., Anthropology) – 2024-25 Society of Scholars, Simpson Center for the Humanities

Anjali Yadav (Ph.D., Asian Languages and Literature) – AIIS Digital India Learning Fellowship

Highlights: Events and Outreach

Ana Mari Cauce with UW South Asia faculty and scholars

The South Asia Center’s speaker series, film screenings, panel discussions and educator workshops sparked conversations on critical issues in and on South Asia.

Highlights:

  • Over 40 researchers, professionals and students participated in the 2023 Nepali Summer Language Program
  • The Community College Master Teacher Institute explored diversity, equity, and inclusion in a global context
  • Public health journalist Vidya Krishnan spoke on her book Plagues, Philanthropies and the End of Imagination
  • Journalist and activist P. Sainath unearthed the stories of The Last Heroes: Foot Soldiers of Indian Freedom
  • A panel of South Asia Center alumni and FLAS fellows discussed career pathways in the foreign service
  • Visiting Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Sumangala Damodaran delivered a lecture and performance on Indian protest music
  • Author Yashica Dutt discussed her book Coming Out As Dalit with South Asia Center Director Radhika Govindrajan
  • Hugo House workshop on South and Southeast Asian Literature featured author-scholars Sonora Jha and Peter Bacho
  • A virtual panel of four Afghanistan scholars covered rule of law, democratic transitions, and authoritarianism in Afghanistan
  • The Inaugural India Research Symposium featured UW faculty experts across the disciplines
  • …and many more in our Events Archive!
Stay tuned!
The 2024-25 recipients of fellowships and scholarships administered by the South Asia Center, including FLAS Fellowships, the Conlon Fellowship, the IACS Scholarship, and the inaugural Varanasi Scholarship, will be announced in the fall.
A note of appreciation for our donors
Our work would not be possible without the generous support of our community donors. Your gifts are testaments to the value of international studies, language knowledge, and cultural understanding in a complex and interdependent world.