Dear Friends of the South Asia Center,
I hope this note finds you as well as can be in these tumultuous times. As we come to the close of another academic year, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the many ways in which you continue to engage with and enrich the South Asia Center. If not for you, we would not be the intellectually and socially vibrant community that so many of us rely on to sustain us. It is your enthusiasm and support that allows us to fulfill our commitment to deepening public understanding of the histories, politics, economies, cultures, languages, religions, and societies of South Asia, a task that is more necessary than ever in this moment.
This year, we hosted several events that provided an opportunity for our students, faculty, and wider community to connect with one another. We were fortunate to be able to bring scholars, artists, filmmakers, and writers from the United States, India, and the United Kingdom who drew large audiences, including attendees who came across the border from Canada. Among other things we learned about Indigenous food cultures in Nepal, the importance of beauty work in Pakistan’s service industry, and the political aesthetics of the Ambedkarite movement in India. We capped the year with a daylong workshop featuring cutting-edge research by our M.A. and Ph.D. students.
We are also excited to share that our community of scholars continues to be enriched by the arrival of new faculty. Next year, we will be joined by Dr. Akshaya Tankha, who will start as an Assistant Professor in the Art History Department, and Dr. Sravanthi Kollu who will start as the Hanuma and Anuradha Kodavalla Assistant Professor in Asian Languages and Literature.
We would like to thank the generous donors who make it possible for our graduate students to pursue brilliant and original research projects. Students who were awarded the Conlon, Varanasi, and Indian American Community Services fellowships this year have conducted archival and ethnographic research on India and Pakistan.
While there has been much to celebrate, this has also been an extraordinarily challenging year for many in our community. Our students, in particular, have been profoundly affected by ongoing budgetary cuts, visa uncertainties, and the curtailment of academic freedom. Many students in our community are fearful for their safety, and have decided against traveling to South Asia for research and to see family and friends. In this difficult moment, we must act to protect the most vulnerable in our community and make opportunities available for them at a time when they are hardest hit by shrinking resources at the University. We request you to support us in this endeavor by donating to the Friends of South Asia Fund, which will allow us to foster the next generation of scholars of South Asia. (You are welcome to specify “for student support” in the comment box when making a donation.)
Once again, thank you for the many ways in which you continue to support our community at the UW South Asia Center. We look forward to seeing you at our events next year.
Sincerely,
Radhika Govindrajan
Director, South Asia Center
Recent Highlights
Student spotlight: Kirin Yadav, class of 2025
The South Asia Center recently spoke with graduating senior Kirin Yadav about the academic opportunities she has pursued in South Asian history, museum studies, and public scholarship while at the University of Washington.
Graduate student conference highlights works-in-progress across the disciplines
In May, the South Asia Center hosted a Graduate Student Workshop, where UW graduate students presented original research spanning disciplines in South Asia Studies. The event featured six student participants and a keynote address by Dr. Jayaseelan Raj (King’s College London).
Exploring gender and public space in South Asia: insights from a South Asia Studies MA alum
JSIS South Asia Studies MA alum Karishma Manglani discussed her academic journey, the intersection of gender and public space in South Asia, and “Where Do Women Belong?: How India’s ‘Protector’ State Shapes Gender in Public Space,” her most recent piece for the website “Feminism In India.”
Recent faculty publications: from the history of Urdu to humanitarianism in the global south
In our continued effort to spotlight recent scholarly outputs of our faculty, the South Asia Center is proud to present a summary of recent publications that contribute to various fields related to South Asia Studies and beyond.
UW group launches open-access Hindi Song Book
The Hindi Song Book, the first installment of an open-access Manifold-created journal in collaboration with UW Libraries, was launched with the simple goal of sharing the work and the fun of taking Hindi songs seriously.