Opportunities & Challenges for Sikh Academics Jan-2010
January 12th, 2010 | Published in Sikh & Punjabi Language Studies | 6 Comments
The Sikh community has successfully set up eight chairs of Sikh Studies in various universities all over the U.S.A. Four of these Chairs have been set up/supported by the Sikh Foundation. Moreover numerous Punjabi language teaching programs are also been run at various US campuses. This is an effort fast gaining momentum which will result in a further increase of professorships and Punjabi teachers in American academia to meet the needs of the Americans and approximately one million Sikhs living in USA.
But a majority of the Sikh community members are not aware of the good work that a number of professors of Sikh Studies are doing. Moreover with continuous progress in these areas it is extremely important to establish a closer relationship between the educators themselves and furthermore communicate to them, the desires of the Sikh community.
To achieve this we will publish two articles per month, in the Sikh Foundation’s webpage. One article will be written by a Sikh Studies professor and the other by a credible community member. So over a period of time, we should receive a detailed understanding of the activities of the educators, their interests, challenges, opportunities, teaching approaches and future plans, while the educators would become aware of the desires and priorities of the Sikh community. Prof. Gurinder Singh Mann, Prof. Pashaura Singh, Prof. Nikki G.K. Singh, Prof. A Mandair, Prof. Jaideep Singh, Prof. B.S Bhogal and other professors of Sikh Studies and Punjabi teachers will share their experiences. Well known and creditable community members like Khushwant Singh, Dr. I.J Singh, Prof. Nirvikar Singh, Prof. R. Bassi, Prof. Mark Juergensmeyer, Dr. Jasbir Mann, Dr. B. Sahni and others, who have a deep interest in the subject, have been invited to write about subjects and issues important to the Sikh community.
Please note that the articles by the community members are not to be viewed as responses to the work and article of the individual professor that we publish alongside. These articles are the views of the writers and not necessasarily of the Sikh Foundation. We also encourage you to comment below by sharing your views on the articles we publish here.
To submit your responses, please scroll to the bottom of the pages.
Community Thought’s
Dr. Raghbir S Basi
Dr. Raghbir S Basi is a former Provost and Emeritus Glenn and Eva Olds Professor of International Understanding at Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage, Alaska. Presently he is the chairman of Village Life Improvement Program based in Chandigarh. Punjab, India and American Canyon, California, USA…
Role of Chair Holders in Sikh Studies: A systemic view
Establishing Endowed Chairs in Sikh Studies offers a unique opportunity to fill a void in academic leadership. Chair holders are provided a unique…
Scholar’s Activities
Dr. Rahuldeep Singh Gill
Dr. Rahuldeep Singh Gill is the Assistant Professor of Religion in the Department of Religion at the California Lutheran University. His interests lie in examining the evolution of Sikh institutions over five hundred years as well as the interaction of Sikhs, Muslims, and Hindus. His research provides the first western study of the Sikh tradition’s most important interpretive writer, Bhai Gurdas Bhalla…
Academia and Sikh Tradition: Unique Opportunities
I am the grandson of a small farmer from the Malwa region of Punjab, and the son of working-class immigrants to the United States…
My Unforgettable Experiences Related to the Field of Sikh Studies
by Professor Pashaura Singh
November 11th, 2009at 8:00 pm(#)
I applaud this effort to involve the Sikh & Punjabi Chairs and other academicians and the community at large in a meaningful interaction. I have asuggestion.
1. One of the self-imposed duties of the Chairs should be to promote the inclusion of at least one lecture on “Introduction to Sikh History, culture and beliefs” in every course at their campus in which it can be justified. The Chairs could provide an outline of such lectures and arrange these lectures with the help of their graduate students and experienced retired Sikh academicians. If the Chairs have already made any efforts in this direction, the positive results theirof should be published on the Sikh Foundation’s website as their commendable achievements towards education about our ID, salient features of Sri Guru Granth, its universal preachings of the Sikh faith, etc.
November 21st, 2009at 3:12 am(#)
Very appreciable effort…
December 11th, 2009at 5:46 am(#)
Dear Sir, Sat Sri Akal
My name is jaswant Singh Kalsi. I live in Jammu (J&K) India.I appriciate your initiative of Sikh foundation.
I seeking some imformation about sikh Guru that is not avialable in market, from where I can get those imformatoin ?
Jaswant Singh Kalsi
Jammu India
(M)+919419173011
December 28th, 2009at 4:44 am(#)
HAPPY NEW YEAR. TO BE A SIKH IS NOT A JOKE. KHALSA IS THE THIRD PANTH. WHICH ARE THE OTHER THREE PANTHS PLEASE?
Ch. Rajinder Nijjhar, M.Sc.
Retired Senior Lecturer in Metallurgy
December 31st, 2009at 4:15 am(#)
when it comes to me I think we should make a system to promote the real messages of SIKHISM and for that all Ragies and orators should have a legal degree to promote SIKHISM FROM THE STAGE.We can see that different orators have there own views about Shabad,Sloks,and Hukamnama.This is the the reason why sikh youth is confused. It should be strictly banned to promote their own messages without any legal degree.It is not easy but now the time has come when initiative should be taken.
Jaswant Singh
Jammu, India
009419173011
January 7th, 2010at 3:58 pm(#)
These are all very well-written articles. I’m curious as to when you will have a female voice here. There are some well-accomplished Sikh women in our community who also need to be represented here. You have the voices of different generations; how about genders?