Sikholars Papers are Now Available!
The young researchers that presented at last week’s Sikholars conference have made their papers available. Until March 15, 2010 they will be available at this link.
If you read the papers, we would love to hear your comments.
Sikholars Conference a HUGE SUCCESS!
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This past weekend was the first annual Sikholars: Sikh Graduate Student Conference. From Toronto and Vancouver, from New York and Boston, some leading young researchers converged upon Stanford University.
Beginning with the topic of the scholar in Sikhi, Harinder Singh creatively discussed the views of scholarship emanating from Gurbani and examples of community intellectuals from Bhai Gurdas to the recently departed Harinder Singh Mehboob.
The opening panel “Beneath the Surface” featured papers from Harvard’s Erik Resly, York University’s Kamal Arora, and University of British Columbia’s Iqbal Kaur. Discussions ranged from the usages of the janamsakhi literature in understanding the Sikh experience, understandings of trauma by the wives of shaheeds in Punjab and widows of the Delhi Pogroms, and issues of perceptions of adolescent suicide by Punjabi Sikh families in British Columbia.
The 2nd panel, titled “Locality: Old and New” saw topics on biodiversity, the role of izzat, and voices from North Delta. Bandana Kaur, Yale University, detailed the changes of Punjab’s ecology during the pre-Green Revolution period; Mette Bach, University of British Columbia, shared excerpts and accounts from her upcoming book about the changing people, lifestyles, and interactions in Punjabi-populated North Delta; Preet Kaur, York University, discussed the understandings of Canadian law by Punjabi Sikh immigrants.
The afternoon session, “Beyond Borders,” saw discussions beyond any national territory. Ajeet Singh of Columbia University provided a critique of the historiography of Punjab/Sikh studies, from the 1960s to the post-structuralist approaches popular among some today. Arvinder Kang of the University of Mississippi discussed his role and the ongoing debates in the promotion of Gurmukhi and Punjabi on the internet today. Mandeep Kaur, University of Texas Austin, gave a literature review of medical research related to the Sikhs. Finally, Harjant Gill, American University (Washington D.C.) concluded the panel with a discussion of Punjabi masculinities as reified and displayed in Punjabi films.
Over 80 community members from throughout California attended the event. Far exceeding the organizer’s expectations, it was standing-room only in this first event of its type – a Sikh graduate conference. Attendees and participants both left excited and exuberant. The event was made possible by the Sikh Spirit Foundation and the Jakara Movement. The Jakara Movement hopes to continue with such programming annually, while increasing its size and scope.
Location
The conference will be held at Cypress North & South (Tresidder Union)
Address: 459 Lagunita Drive, Stanford, CA 94305
Sikholars Schedule
As previously announced, the Sikholars: Sikh Graduate Student Conference is OPEN to the general public. All members of the public are cordially welcome and invited to attend the conference.
The conference will be held at the Cypress Lounge in the Tressider Union on the Stanford University Campus. Directions can be found here.
The schedule for SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20th, 2010 is as follows:
9:00-10:00am – Welcome and Introductions
10:00-12:00pm – Beneath the Surface (Erik Resly, Iqbal Kaur Gill, Kamal Kaur Arora) Resp: Puneet Kaur
12:00-12:45pm – Lunch
12:45-2:45pm – Locality: Past and Present (Mette Bach, Bandana Kaur, Preet Kaur) Resp: Naindeep Singh
2:45-3:00pm – Break
3:00-5:30pm – Beyond Borders (Ajeet Matharu, Harjant Gill, Arvinder Kang, Mandeep Kaur) Resp: Rahuldeep Singh
5:30-5:55pm Open Discussion
5:55-6pm – Closing Comments
6pm – Stanford SSA Event
SIKHOLARS is Open to the Public!
A number of individuals seeking to be a part of the audience have asked about admissions into the first annual SIKHOLARS: Sikh Graduate Student Conference. ALL member of the public are cordially invited. There will not be a registration fee, although tax-deductable donations are welcome.
The conference will be held at the Cypress Lounge in the Tressider Union on the Stanford University Campus on Saturday, February 20, 2010. Directions can be found here. The conference will last throughout the day.
A formalized agenda will be added to the website soon.
Confirmed Participants
The following papers have been selected and will be presented at the first annual conference. We had an overwhelming number of applicants for very few spots. We thank all those that submitted this year and are looking to expand the conference in the future to allow for more papers. The list includes the names and titles of confirmed participants. A few more may be added upon their confirmation.
- Ajeet Singh Matharu, Columbia University, History, N/A
- Arvinder Singh Kang and Amanpreet Singh Brar, University of Mississippi, Computer Science, Extending Gurmukhi Script into Twenty-first Century & Beyond
- Bandana Kaur, Yale University, Environmental Management, Reclaiming Natural Histories: Biodiversity and Landscape in Pre-Green Revolution Punjab
- Erik Resly, Harvard Divinity School, Divinity, (Re)figuring the Sikh: Theodicy, Discipleship and Narrative in Ethical Perspective
- Harjant Gill, American University, Anthroplogy, From Putt Jattan De to Munde UK De: The Transformation of Masculinities in Punjabi Cinema
- Iqbal Kaur Gill, University of British Columbia, Counseling Psychology, First Generation Canadian Punjabi Sikh Parents Beliefs about Adolescent Suicide and Suicide Related Behaviours
- Kamal Arora, York University, Social Anthropology, The Politics of Pain: Gender, Mourning and the Punjab Crisis
- Mandeep Kaur, University of Texas (Austin), Nursing, The Sikh Patient: A Review of the Nursing Literature
- Mette Bach, University of British Columbia, Creative Writing, The Changing Faces of Suburbia
- Preet Kaur Virdi, York University, Socio-Legal Studies, Silence: Resistance or Acquiescence? Sikh women’s perspectives on Canadian law
Deadline For Submissions Has Now Ended
We are excited by the tremendous exuberance and the vast array of submissions we have received for this year’s inaugural conference. For those that have not submitted, we hope you will consider applying next year.
We will begin the review process shortly and all presenters will be notified by late December/early January.
