The Center for South Asian Studies (CSAS) held our Annual Spring Symposium from April 18-20, 2023. The theme for this year was “Climate Change and South Asia,” and the symposium included two in-person public talks by renowned author Amitav Ghosh and architect Kazi Ashraf, as well as a virtual keynote talk by composer and ethnomusicologist Shumaila Hemani.
The week kicked off with Stephanie Han’s invitation to Amitav Ghosh to appear on Hawaii Public Radio on Monday, April 17th. On Tuesday, Monica Ghosh, UHM South Asia Librarian and CSAS Executive Committee member, interviewed both Amitav Ghosh and Kazi Ashraf at the studio in Sinclair Library. The interview will be broadcast soon on the Better Tomorrow Speaker Series’ YouTube channel. On the same day, a reception was hosted for Amitav Ghosh, followed by his talk, which filled the art auditorium to capacity (300). The talk was co-hosted by the Better Tomorrow Speaker Series, and also live-streamed to an audience of 250. The program began with a land acknowledgement by Monica Ghosh, followed by chanting of Welina Mānoa led by CSAS faculty and a student who participated in a workshop conducted by Dr. Punihei Lipe and Makanalani Gomes of The Native Hawaiian Place of Learning Advancement Office at UHM. Anna Stirr, Director of CSAS, Laura Lyons, Interim Vice Provost for Academic Excellence, and Monica Ghosh introduced the speaker.
Kazi Ashraf’s talk was held on Wednesday, April 19, in the Multipurpose Room of the Asia Collection, Hamilton Library, which was also filled to capacity. He was introduced by Ashok Das, a faculty member of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning who serves on the CSAS Executive Committee. A reception was held thereafter. The talk was simultaneously live streamed to a wider audience, and the recording is available on the CSAS YouTube channel.
Shumaila Hemani’s keynote talk was featured on the third day of the Symposium, Thursday April 20, and was well attended by Symposium registrants. She was introduced by CSAS Director Anna Stirr. Dr. Hemani shared her musical compositions that address climate change with a focus on Pakistan’s floods, and discussed the experiences and ideas that informed her acousmatic compositional process. The recording of her talk is available on the CSAS YouTube channel.
From April 19 to 20, the CSAS organized seven panels that were moderated by faculty members, and featured twenty seven virtual presenters from all over the world. The panels focused on various themes related to “Climate Change and South Asia,” including Climate Change in the Bengal Delta, Living with Floods, Climate Justice and the State, Climate Change in Literature, Dalits, Adivasis, and Climate Justice, Adaptation and Resilience, and Biopolitics and Ethics. If you missed the symposium, you can find the fascinating and thought-provoking panels on the UHM CSAS YouTube channel.
A special thanks to all the co-sponsors of the event – the Rama Watumull Collaborative Lecture Series, Better Tomorrow Speaker Series, GJ & Ellen Watumull Fund, Hamilton Library, Halekulani Hotel, UH Press, and the Department of Asian Studies.