South Asian Studies Institute
On July 25th, 2024, the South Asian Studies Institute (SASI) received 3 million+ photographs for stewardship and preservation, taken by the legendary BC photojournalist late Mr. Chandra Bodalia. The SASI plans to digitize, preserve, and provide open access to the photographs through its key initiative, South Asian Canadian Digital Archive with the Royal BC Museum (RBCM), … Read more
SASI selected four lectures and screenings for the South Asian Studies FALL SERIES A mix of lectures and film screenings from B.C. And beyond! October 8, 2024 Lecture by Dr. Hassan Javid – Challenging Authoritarianism: The 2024 Elections in South Asia – A lecture on the complexities of the 2024 elections in Pakistan, India, and … Read more
SASI’s 5th annual Bajwa Dhami Community Golf Day fundraising event, started off with a (very) rainy start, but the true spirit of the event shone through when our players and sponsors braved the weather, arriving on time and showing their unwavering commitment to our cause, raising funds for the SASI Research Fellowship Endowment. Teams enthusiastically moved … Read more
All of us at the South Asian Studies Institute (SASI) at the University of the Fraser Valley, are so proud that our Director, colleague, and friend Dr. Satwinder Kaur Bains was presented the King Charles III Coronation Medal by Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin and Premier of British Columbia David Eby in Vancouver on August 27, … Read more
Living in Canada, one of the sayings you always hear is that we are a very multicultural country. Of course, with so many beautiful cultures interacting within one country, it is easy to see why multiculturalism is one of our prime characteristics. Multicultural Day in Canada lands annually on June 27. On this day, we … Read more
At SASI, we want to take the time to honor and acknowledge Indigenous Peoples Day which takes place annually on June 21. On this day, and everyday, we recognize and celebrate First Nations, Métis, and Inuit language, history, contributions, culture, diversity, and more. In Abbotsford, the South Asian Studies Institute at the University of Fraser … Read more
In the summer of 2017, at the initial gathering organized by the South Asian Studies Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley, a passionate group of scholars and heritage professionals came together to ask the question, What is a South Asian Canadian Digital Archive (SACDA)? The above mapping on the white board was the … Read more
In the spirit of Asian Heritage Month and its 2024 theme, “Preserving the Past, Embracing the Future: Amplifying Asian Canadian Legacy,” the South Asian Canadian Digital Archive (SACDA) team would like to share our archival journey of documenting the Chinese Canadian sawmill workers of Paldi. Paldi, the first intercultural town in Canada, is a small … Read more
SASI acquires a rare edition of Emily Eden’s Portraits of Princes and People of India On May 20th, 2024, the South Asian Studies Institute received a rare copy of Portraits of Princes and People of India by Emily Eden (1797-1869). This book was originally gifted to a former BC Government leader from foreign dignitaries. As … Read more
Welcome to our new SASI Coordinator, Hamad Nazar. All of us the South Asian Studies Institute welcome Hamad Abdullah Nazar as the new Coordinator. Hamad started work with us on May 14th and we look forward to working with him and for you all to meet him. Born and raised in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Hamad completed … Read more