South Asian Studies Institute

Dr.  Trevor Carolan, an instructor with the Department of English at UFV visited the University of Mumbai and was invited to do read from his book The Lotus Singers at the Mumbai Writers Festival. Trevor’s trip to Mumbai was coordinated by the Centre for Indo Canadian Studies. The following is an excerpt from a letter Trevor wrote detailing his … Read more

In some parts of the world, the words “it’s a girl” aren’t always greeted with joy on the part of the parents of a newborn infant. In India, China and many other parts of the world today, girls are killed, aborted, or abandoned simply because they are girls. The United Nations estimates as many as … Read more

International Trade Minister Ed Fast met with students and faculty of the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) India in Chandigarh, India. Included in the photo are Mark Evered, UFV President and Vice-Chancellor; Paul Davidson, President of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada; and George Peary, a former mayor of Abbotsford, British Columbia, … Read more

The Centre for Indo Canadian Studies hosted a forum in response to the tragic Gurdwara shootings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Faculty and staff presented on a variety of short papers relating to the topic: We are all Sikhs: Blind spots in racial landscapes of “mistaken identities.” The reflection was attended by faculty, staff and students and … Read more

Yoga instructor Babeeta Chhabra engaged in a delightful yoga workshop at the CICS called Sri Sri Natya, which offered a beautiful combination of Dance, Music, Yogasanas and Meditation. The workshop was attended by faculty and staff and proved to be very lively and engaging, regardless of whether you were a new comer to yoga, or … Read more

Renowned Indo-Canadian author now living in the United States, Shauna Singh Baldwin returned to the University of the Fraser Valley for the third time in five years to read from her latest work on Wednesday, Oct 10. The reading took place in the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies to a packed room of some sixty delighted … Read more

  On September 16th, Kathy Marsden presented her experiences in growing up with the community of Paldi at the Sikh Heritage Museum. Marsden’s novel, “Paldi: Two Cultures, One Heart” is a fictional story which intertwines the lives of its two characters-one Punjabi, the other caucasian. Kathy’s very engaging presentation presented the audience with an amazeing … Read more

Canadian Consul General of India, Chandigarh, Mr. Scot Slessor visited the Centre for Indo Canadian Studies on July 16th. Mr. Slessor spoke to invited UFV faculty, staff and community members on the roles of the office in Chandigarh, as well as the business opportunities available in Chandigarh for young entrepreneurs. Mr. Slessor also discussed the … Read more

July 15th saw the unveiling of the second exhibition opening at the Sikh Heritage Museum titled Punjab-the people, the land, the legacy. Pioneer families, dignitaries, and many others from the community attended and viewed the beautiful paintings. This second exhibition featured the art work of acclaimed local artist Manjit Singh Sandhu. Mr. Sandhu painted individual … Read more