South Asian Studies Institute
The 2021 golf tournament was renamed the ‘Bajwa Dhami Building Bridges Community Golf Day‘ in honour of the philanthropy, passion and commitment of the golf tournament founders and Abbotsford residents – Dr. Amarjit Singh Bajwa and Dr. Malwinder Singh Dhami. Since 2018, the SASI has partnered with community leaders Dr. Dhami and Dr. Bajwa to … Read more
The SASI is pleased to share the names of two UFV students who were recipients of this years’ HSBC Endowment Award. The scholarship – provided to a student who has done work in connection to South Asian studies was awarded to Tanveer Saroya and Tricia Jensen. Tanveer Saroya, a UFV History student engaged in a … Read more
The SASI partnered with the Association of Critical Heritage Studies – Canada, the University of Alberta Kule Institute for Advanced Studies and Northumbria University to present a symposium entitled “Constructing Heritage in Canada’s South Asian Diasporas.” The June 16th symposium, which was attended by almost 50 people, featured panelists: Dr Satwinder Kaur Bains, University of … Read more
The SASI, in collaboration with UBC Sociology and Professor Renisa Mawani, the BC Historical Federation and the BC History Magazine were recipients of the 2021 Heritage BC Award for Education, Communications and Awareness. The project paired 11 third-year UBC students with heritage organizations and historical research projects to assist community partners that had been impacted … Read more
“I thought I had a good idea of what to expect. I received hundreds of calls, often just to cry. I can hear not only the pain and the anguish, but also the anger that no one believed the stories they had told. I can also hear their sense that they have lost some hope … Read more
The SASI was pleased to host renown political activist and intellectual Yogendra Yadav who spoke about India’s farmers movement. As the ongoing farmers struggle in India completes six months, it has attracted global attention. The Indian diaspora has taken special interest and played a key role in this movement. Focusing on extraordinary milestones and the … Read more
The SASI continues the work of the South Asian Canadian Legacy Project with the support of a range of dedicated community members as part of the Project Management Team and the Advisory Committees. Below are some important updates and milestones as we reach the one year mark since the Province funding announcement towards the work … Read more
“Wake up, work hard, be kind and consistent.” This mantra has been on repeat during my time and journey thus far while working at the South Asian Studies Institute at UFV. I began my studies at UFV India (located in Chandigarh) and later transferred to the University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford. I pride myself … Read more
(As seen in UFV Today) A visionary leader with an unshakable commitment to equality and cultural justice, Dr. Satwinder Bains is the 2021 recipient of UFV’s Faculty Service Excellence Award.“As a woman of colour, not only is she smashing glass ceilings of patriarchy within academia, but also in conservative cultural spaces,” says Anita Lal, co-founder … Read more
Dr. Bains, SASI Director is a part of the Academic Advisory Committee joining scholars, activists and professionals from across Canada to create a national strategy combatting hate. She will also speak on coalition building across Asian Canadian Communities. The conversation comes in light of the exponential rise in anti-Asian violence, hate and crime in British … Read more