South Asian Studies Institute
From humble beginnings, Fraser Valley College went to becoming the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV). This has been a 50-year long journey (1974-2024). UFV Fifty Years Forward celebrated the special anniversary with a full year of engagement, including special events and programming. As part of this celebration, over 32 initiatives received funding through UFV … Read more
The Research and Graduate Studies department at UFV held their Student Research Day event this year on April 2, 2025. Each year UFV students are invited to participate in Student Research Day by designing and submitting a research poster and/or by presenting a snapshot of their research project in under two minutes at the Student … Read more
On March 21st, in honor of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD), Race and Antiracism Network (RAN) held a panel discussion on: Who is UFV? The Power of Disaggregated Data in Combating Racial Discrimination. SASI was a collaborating partner for the event made up of a panel of members from the … Read more
SASI is pleased to announce that the work of SACDA has been featured on the Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) website. The Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA), founded in 1975, is a non-profit organization that represents the needs and interests of archives and records professionals throughout Canada. They provide members with opportunities to network with … Read more
On February 20th, SASI hosted a successful Student Training Day for current Research Assistants and student research volunteers. The aim was to focus on professional development, providing students with valuable insights into workplace standards, ethics, and practices that can be applied throughout their careers. The day began with light refreshments and tea, offering attendees an … Read more
January 27, 2025, marked the official launch of the South Asian Canadian Digital Archive’s (SACDA) newsletter – The Hive. SACDA is honored to be able to launch The Hive in the month of January – a month which celebrates Tamil Heritage Month, Lohri, Pongal and Makar Sankranti, which are occasions of community, renewal, harvest and … Read more
On January 25th, for a second consecutive year, we celebrated Family Literacy Day in partnership with The Fraser Valley Regional Library. Family Literacy Day is a national initiative to raise awareness of the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family. This year’s theme was ‘Learn to be Green, Together!’ SASI’s … Read more
On a crisp evening of Friday, January 10th, UFV students that work at SASI as Research Assistants, organized an event to celebrate the popular Punjabi folk festival, Lohri. Lohri signifies the end of winter solstice and the beginning of a new harvest season. It is celebrated by lighting a bonfire where family and friends gather … Read more
On January 6th, 2025, all of us at SASI welcomed Dalbir Dolla (she/her) as she joined the team at the Institute as the new SASI Coordinator at UFV. Dalbir is a local born and raised Abbotsford resident. She undertook her undergraduate studies at the University of the Fraser Valley, graduating in 2013 with a Major … Read more
On December 12th, 2024 the SASI welcomed late Chandra Bodalia’s family to thank them for their priceless donation of 3 million+ photos of their father’s history and heritage collection. For the first time Vimal (son), Mona (daughter) and Anita (daughter-in-law) were able to fully view the photographs that had been stored in 400+ boxes in … Read more