Dear All,
As the academic year comes to a close, I want to express my utmost gratitude for all the ways, small and large, in which you participated in and enriched our community at a time that continues to be marked by uncertainty and difficulty. We hosted several stimulating and well-attended talks this year, but a particular highlight was a mini-conference that showcased the incredible research projects of our graduate students. I thank our graduate students, the heart and soul of our community, for sharing their work with us, and look forward to seeing how their projects take shape. I would also like to express deep appreciation for Nick Gottschall, the Managing Director of the Center, whose vision, enthusiasm, and infinite patience play a key role in making the Center an intellectually and socially nourishing space. Finally, a huge thank you to Professor Anand Yang, who will be taking over as Interim Director of the Center in 2022-2023 while I am on sabbatical. Have a wonderful summer, everyone!
Sincerely,
Radhika Govindrajan
Director, South Asia Center
Associate Professor of Anthropology and International Studies
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.
A Community of Scholars and Students
Graduate Student Workshop
May 2022
The South Asia Center’s Graduate Student Workshop featured presentations from UW graduate students on a range of topics and disciplines in South Asia Studies. Eight students presented their work to and received valuable feedback from a group of faculty, students, and staff associated with the South Asia Center.
Congratulations, Graduates!
The South Asia Center congratulates the 2022 graduates of the M.A. in International Studies (South Asia) and affiliated South Asia Studies programs!
Sukhmann Bajwa, M.A. in South Asia Studies
Karishma Manglani, M.A. in South Asia Studies
Ilsa Razzak, M.A. in South Asia Studies
Sauharda Rai, Ph.D. in International Studies
HIGHLIGHTS: Community and K-14 Outreach
High School Course on India and South Asia
Summer 2021
With support from the South Asia Center’s National Resource Center grant and guidance from Prof. Sunila Kale, Issaquah High School social studies teacher and South Asia Studies MA alum Rachel Heilman designed a new high school course, India and South Asia: From Area Studies to Ethnic Studies, to be taught in 2022-23. The course materials are publicly available as a resource for other teachers.
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Access the course →
Nepali Language Program
July 2021
With 41 participants from 7 countries, the Summer 2021 Nepali Language Program was one of the largest global gatherings for Nepali language training … ever!
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Upcoming: Summer Nepali 2022 →
Community College Master Teacher Institute
July 2021
Into the abyss or taking flight – what’s the ‘new normal’ in our post-pandemic world? This was the focus of conversation and debate for 29 faculty from 12 community colleges across the country and guest speakers at CCMTI 2021. Participants explored the impact of the past year and COVID-19 on teaching and learning through a variety of disciplinary perspectives.
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Upcoming: CCMTI 2022 →
Tasveer Fest Symposium: Underrepresented Muslim Voices in Mainstream Global Media
October 2021
Featuring a panel of artists, journalists, and scholars, and moderated by South Asia Center Director Radhika Govindrajan, this Symposium explored the systematic invisibilization, racial profiling and stereotyping of Muslims in the mainstream global media.
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Upcoming: Tasveer Fest 2022 →
Conversation and Workshop with Author Shobha Rao
April 2022
Critically acclaimed author Shobha Rao joined the South Asia Center for two events on gender, politics, and literature in South Asia and the diaspora:
- Shobha Rao in Conversation with Alka Kurian on gender politics in South Asia and the diaspora
- Hugo House Workshop on decolonizing South and Southeast Asian literature, from Shobha Rao and Nazry Bahrawi
HIGHLIGHTS: Colloquia and Speaker Series
The South Asia Center’s speaker series and scholarly colloquia sparked discussions on critical issues in and on South Asia.
Event highlights:
- Waqas Butt (University of Toronto) on caste, waste, and the work of infrastructure in Lahore
- Panel discussion on Afghanistan and its regional relationships
- Bishnupriya Ghosh (UC Santa Barbara) on epidemic intensities and risk environments in India
- Juned Shaikh (UC Santa Cruz) on Marxism, caste, and Dalit literature in Bombay
- Tarini Bedi (U Illinois Chicago) on Indian automobility and auto-space in Urban India
- Mythri Jegathesan (Santa Clara University) on debt and plantation politics in Sri Lanka
- Debashree Mukherjee (Columbia University) on Bombay cinema between industry and illusion
- Uzma Rizvi (Pratt Institute) on community engagement and archaeology at MohenjoDaro
- Meeta Pradhan (Institute for Social and Environmental Research–Nepal) on gender equality and social inclusion in Nepal
- Seattle Art Museum Saturday University Lecture Series talks on collecting and plundering art and literature in India
- UW International Studies and Business Alumni Panel on navigating global careers
- …and more! Check out our Events Archive.
In Memoriam
The South Asia Center marked the passing of two members of the University of Washington South Asia Studies community. We offer condolences to their families and loved ones.
Karl Potter, 1927–2022
Emeritus Professor of Philosophy
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Paul Brass, 1936–2022
Emeritus Professor of International Studies and Political Science
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