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| Columbia University South Asia Institute | |
|---|---|
| Name | Columbia University South Asia Institute |
| Established | 1992 |
| Type | Research institute |
| City | New York City |
| State | New York |
| Country | United States |
| Parent | Columbia University |
Columbia University South Asia Institute is an academic center based at Columbia University that fosters study of South Asian societies through interdisciplinary research, teaching, and public programs. The Institute connects scholars, students, and practitioners from regions such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal with institutions including Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia Law School, and the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. Its activities intersect with comparative projects on topics associated with figures like Amartya Sen, Rabindranath Tagore, and Mahatma Gandhi while engaging archives such as the South Asian American Digital Archive and collections like the Library of Congress.
The Institute was founded in 1992 amid shifting post-Cold War priorities impacting centers such as the SSRC and institutes at universities like Harvard University and University of Chicago, drawing on earlier Columbia initiatives tied to scholars like Edward Said and collaborations with consulates such as the Consulate General of India in New York. Early programming included conferences referencing the work of Ibrahim Haider, comparative panels with the Asia Society, and visiting fellows connected to universities like Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Delhi, and Jadavpur University. Over time the Institute hosted lectures by figures such as Satyajit Ray scholars, partnered on exhibitions referencing the Kolkata art scene, and supported fieldwork in locations including Mumbai, Karachi, and Dhaka.
The Institute's mission emphasizes interdisciplinary inquiry linking scholars from departments such as Columbia Law School, Department of History (Columbia University), and the Mailman School of Public Health to address issues relevant to peoples of South Asia and the diaspora in cities like New York City and London. Objectives include fostering research on topics associated with thinkers like Amartya Sen, supporting translation projects of works by authors such as R.K. Narayan and Faiz Ahmad Faiz, and promoting pedagogy used by programs at SOAS University of London and University of Pennsylvania.
The Institute sponsors seminars, fellowships, and graduate certificates that complement programs at the Columbia School of Social Work, Columbia Business School, and the Bard Graduate Center. Faculty affiliates have included historians linked to archives like the British Library and economists connected to institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Research themes span studies of literature referencing V.S. Naipaul and Arundhati Roy, urban projects comparable to work in Mumbai and Chennai, and public health inquiries aligned with research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
The Institute collaborates with organizations including the Asia Society, the Ford Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation, and maintains ties with South Asian universities such as University of Mumbai, University of Calcutta, and Banaras Hindu University. It has co-sponsored initiatives with cultural partners like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and archives such as the Tata Central Archives, and engaged in joint programming with media outlets such as The Hindu and The Times of India. Collaborative projects have included exchanges modeled on partnerships with institutions like Yale University and Princeton University.
Programming features public lectures, film series, and conferences with participants including novelists like Salman Rushdie, poets linked to Longfellow traditions, and activists in the lineage of Aruna Roy. The Institute has organized panels during festivals akin to the Hay Festival and partnered on exhibitions with museums such as the Whitney Museum of American Art and galleries representing artists from Kolkata and Lahore. Public engagement extends to workshops with NGOs like SEWA and forums that attract diplomats from missions including the High Commission of India and the Consulate General of Pakistan in New York.
Governance involves a director reporting to Columbia administrators in offices such as the Office of the Provost and coordinating with advisory boards comprising academics from institutions like Oxford University, Cambridge University, and University of California, Berkeley. Funding streams include endowments, grants from foundations such as the Rockefeller Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and support from bilateral donors historically aligned with agencies like the United States Agency for International Development and philanthropic trusts affiliated with families like the Tata family.
Located near Columbia's Morningside Heights campus in Manhattan, the Institute utilizes seminar rooms and archival facilities connected to the Butler Library and event spaces comparable to venues at the Barnard College. Its physical resources support visiting scholars, graduate students, and public programs that attract participants from consulates, universities, and cultural institutions across New York City and the broader Northeast Corridor.
Category:Columbia University Category:South Asia studies institutes