CSAS Newsletter 

Aloha,
We just wrapped our forty second Annual Spring Symposium last Friday. Our theme this year was “Prominence and Power: Party Politics and Transnational South Asia.” I want to thank all the people who responded enthusiastically to our call for papers. A heartfelt thanks to Anna Stirr (the previous Director of CSAS) for laying the groundwork for the symposium, all the committee members, individuals, and staff members who have supported and helped to organize this year’s conference—the fantastic keynote speakers, the moderators, the participants, and the attendees for their engaging and brilliant questions. 
 
We couldn’t have known how relevant and generative this year’s conference would turn out to be when we were planning the theme last year. We had been grappling with the question of the place of South Asian Studies within the US diaspora, and more specifically in the context of settler colonialism in Hawai’i. The inaugural lecture by Professor Inderpal Grewal and the book discussion panel on Nishant Upadhyay’s book Indians on Indian Land: Intersections of Race, Caste, and Indigeneity (2024) set the tone by invoking the specter of caste and caste complicity as the master signifiers for understanding the South Asian diaspora. 
 
Professor Grewal’s talk pointed to the disproportionate dominance of a tiny minority of wealthy corporate Indians claiming to represent all of Asian America as a sign of caste’s assimilative potential. As a result, caste has not only enabled the entry of upper caste Indians into powerbroking positions in the US diaspora, it has become the indispensable new optic for studying transnational South Asia itself. Professor Grewal provided a rich analysis of the trajectory of Harmeet Kaur Dhillon, a republican politician, whose “version of diversity” coupled ethnic belonging with neoliberal patriarchy. Professor Grewal’s talk offered a classic case study in the clash of representation and reality, specifically the ethno-nationalist representation of community with its emphasis on “religion, race, and endogamy” versus the reality of a fractured and damaged population on the receiving end of capital’s extractiveness.
 
Nishant’s panel began with a discussion of what they call “casted settler pessimism.” Nishant demonstrated that the separating logic of caste enters the very soul of settler colonialism. The panel drew astute and critical readings of the book from all the panelists, who reflected at length upon the convergence of caste and settler colonialism as well as the related question of the limits and possibilities of solidarity within the ranks of the South Asian diaspora.
 
The panel on The Political Feminine reflected upon imbrications of caste and gender. Elena Merayo, one of the presenters brought with her a young Nepali politician named Pratigya Adhikari belonging to the Australian Nepali diaspora, who spoke about the challenges of organizing women victims of domestic abuse and mothers within a representational framework skewed by internalized patriarchy and racism. Other speakers explored representations of motherhood in the writings of Indian women writers, and in each paper we were invited to reflect upon gendered hierarchies as transnational forms reproduced across the diaspora.
 
Both this panel and the one entitled Politics of Representation presented provocative critiques of identity and representation, particularly as these manifest in electoral politics, offering nuanced case studies from across South Asia such as remittance-induced citizenship, the weakening of regional parties under the weight of neoliberal development, and the paradox of identity-claims reproducing majority dominance. These were varied and exciting contributions, offering us a rich glimpse into the dynamic nature of the field. We were both honored and delighted to be able to host these new voices and critiques.

Last but not least, our in-person keynote speaker was the former Senator from the State of Washington, Mona Das. She delighted the audience with her narrative performance of her life’s journey from immigrant to senator. She also offered engaging and in-depth answers to the moderator, Monisha Das Gupta’s hard-hitting questions about the potentials of feminist representation within electoral politics and beyond. Hosting a celebrity politician of Das’ stature was a true honor for CSAS and a pleasure for the entire audience.  

In partnership with the South-Asian community here in Hawai’i, we will continue connecting across and beyond academic boundaries. Stay tuned!

From CSAS, 
Nandini Chandra, Director
Mari Martinez, Coordinator

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TODAY – Divergence and Alterity:
Shrines, Sacrality and Performing Arts in South and Southeast Asia

Visiting Scholar Abdul Haque Chang will give a lecture entitled “Divergence and Alterity: Shrines, sacrality, and performing arts in South and Southeast Asia.” In collaboration with the Center for Southeast Asian Studies.

WHEN: TODAY – Friday, April 11
TIME: 3-4pm
WHERE: REGISTER – https://tinyurl.com/39fdwyta

May 30-June 1 – Asia Pacific Dance Festival & Conference

Stay tuned for more about the Kathak troupe to be featured at this fantastic festival, along with South Asia-related presentations at the Conference.

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CSAS Student and Faculty News

Accepting Applications for FALL 2025
Rama Watumull Collaborative Lecture Series (UH Faculty ONLY)

If you are a UH Mānoa faculty member and have someone you would like to invite please see details below on how to apply we are now accepting applications for FALL 2025! 
For more information please vitis our website: https://tinyurl.com/4e39v6ve

CSAS Students, Student Alumni, Faculty and Affiliate Faculty – We want to know what you’re doing!

We want to know what you are or have been doing. To update us so we can feature you in our newsletter email csas@hawaiil.edu with your information!

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CFP: Religious Minorities under Muslim Rule

Minorities are all around us—and so they were, historically. It is hard to spot societies and communities without minorities—and so was the case in Muslim societies. Religious minorities have been integral to Muslim societies, playing significant roles socially, politically, legally, scientifically, and economically.
How minorities contributed to their living context, what their contributions were, and why they did so have been discussed, but more studies are to be done so to frame the wider picture of why minorities remained a needed and an unalienable factor in Muslim societies. The more the roles and roots of religious minorities are analyzed, the better our contemporary world might embrace differences.

For more information: https://tinyurl.com/4sj9azh5
Deadline: April 21, 2025

International Conference on Globalization/Deglobalization in Languages, Education, Culture and Communication

The first International Conference on Globalisation/Deglobalisation in Languages, Education, Culture and Communication (GLECC2025) is going to be held 30-31 July, 2025, Manchester, UK., with pre-conference workshops on 29th July and post-conference cultural visits on 1st August.

The past two decades have witnessed remarkable advancements in the studies into Education, Second and Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting, Cultural Studies, and Communication. This growth, evident in both the number of active researchers and the volume of scholarly throughput and outcomes, can be largely attributed to the forces of globalisation. Consequently, adopting the globalisation perspective is timely and provides a natural framework for connecting these diverse yet interlinked disciplines.For more information: https://glecc.org/2025/
Deadline: April 30, 2025

The Asia Pacific Dance Festival Intensive

The Asia Pacific Dance Festival Intensive is a unique two-week experience that gives participants an opportunity to expand their awareness and understanding by learning about specific cultures in Hawaiʻi, Asia, and Pacific through an embodied approach directly from renowned artists and cultural practitioners.
Students will experience hula and Hawaiian culture as a way of life through place-based learning, as Na Mokupuni o Hawaiʻi Nei (the Hawaiian Islands) is the home of the Kanaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiians). The 2025 APDF Intensive will also feature teachers from Fiji and India. Since the Hawaiian Islands host Fijian and Indian diasporas, participants will have the opportunity to engage with local Fijian and Indian communities through field trips and community events.

For more information: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/outreach/asiapacificdance/intensive2025/
Where: Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
When: May 19 to June 1, 2025
Registration Deadline: April 30, 2025, limited space available

CFP: Book Chapters for “Indian Trans Cinema: Film, Television, and Web Series Exploring Transgender Themes”

Seeking additional chapters for the book Indian Trans Cinema: Film, Television, and Web Series. This collection showcases the breadth of languages and regional differences within Indian cinema that explores transgender themes. We already have over a dozen confirmed chapters. Chapters may focus on a single film or multiple films.

After the following list of confirmed chapters, you will find details about how to submit your proposal. We seek additional chapters exploring diverse Indian films, so to be competitive, new chapter proposals should not include any of the films already covered by confirmed chapters.
For more information on confirmed chapters, and submission details: https://tinyurl.com/3aszjwsa
Proposal Deadline: May 1, 2025

AIPS Conference/Workshop Grants

AIPS Conference/Workshop Grants fund the organization of Pakistan-related conferences and workshops in the US as well as a conference or workshop in Pakistan.

• Apply for a Conference/Workshop Grant in Pakistan
• Apply for a Pakistan-related Conference/Workshop Grant in the US

Applications are now being accepted for the next quarterly deadline on May 1, 2025.

Education About Asia (EAA)
The Association for Asian Studies (AAS) peer-reviewed teaching journal — is being relaunched as a biannual, open-access online journal, and is now accepting proposals. 

EAA is an invaluable resource for teachers, students, and anyone with an interest in Asia. Articles and reviews cover a wide range of topics and time periods—from ancient to modern history, language, literature, geography, religion, youth and popular culture. Articles in EAA are intended to provide educators and academics in the humanities and social sciences with basic understanding of Asia-related content. Qualified referees evaluate all manuscripts submitted for consideration.

For more information: https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/call-for-manuscripts/
Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis.
Deadline for Spring is May 1, 2025.

CFP – The 122nd Annual PAMLA Conference

The Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA), the west coast affiliate of the MLA, is a warm, welcoming, inclusive Humanities and Arts association dedicated to the creation, advancement, and diffusion of the aesthetic practices and knowledge of ancient & modern languages, literatures, cultures, and the arts. Approximately 800 to 1,000 faculty, students, writers, and interested independent scholars and members of the community attend our annual PAMLA conference, which offers scholars and writers the opportunity to share research and creative artistic works in a friendly, stimulating atmosphere.

• Special Session Deadline: April 15 (or sooner)
• Paper Proposal Deadline: May 15
• Conference Registration with Early Bird Discount: January 30 – May 28

For more information: https://www.pamla.org/pamla2025/

Call for Chapters: Asian Temporalities: Chronologies, Seasons, Tenses

Time and its perceptions shape our lives in profound ways. In this volume, we encourage contributors to engage with time from diverse perspectives. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, periodization and epochal divisions, generational shifts, and the politics of temporality. We also invite discussions on narrative time, conceptions of progress and regress, and the interplay between linear and cyclical understandings of time, as well as similar topics related to the main theme.​

​We invite contributions from various fields of the humanities and social sciences, including interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary investigations. The aim of this volume is to bring together chapters that explore the multifaceted concept of time as it relates to the cultures, societies, languages, and histories of Asia, including their diasporic expressions. The provisional title of the volume is an intentionally broad one to encourage a broad range of approaches and topics.​For more information: https://tinyurl.com/29zz4fn8
Deadline: May 31, 2025

Call For Papers – 54th Annual Conference of SouthWest Conference on Asian Studies
Pasts and Futures: Rethinking Asian Studies in the New Global Landscape

In an era of rapid geopolitical shifts and technological advancements, SWCAS invites scholars to critically examine the changing contours of Asian Studies under the theme “Pasts and Futures: Rethinking Asian Studies in the New Global Landscape.” We invite reflection on the intersection of historical legacies, contemporary challenges and opportunities, and Asia’s role in shaping global futures. 

For more information: https://tinyurl.com/4jaewhnn
Submission Deadline: June 1, 2025

ToIndia Summer School 2025 — The Persistence of Caste in Contemporary India
An intersectional exploration into discrimination, mobilisation and exploitation

How does caste-based marginalization persist in modern India? How do class, gender, and religious identity intersect with caste discrimination? The 2025 edition of our Summer School takes an interdisciplinary deep dive into these questions, examining the enduring stigma of untouchability, patterns of exclusion, and the evolving dynamics of caste in the political and religious landscape.

This year’s programme will critically explore caste as both a structure of oppression and a site of resistance. From labour rights to cultural production, from grassroots mobilization to Hindu revivalism, we will analyze how caste continues to shape contemporary India, while also highlighting movements challenging discrimination and asserting dignity.

Applications open to all students, preferably at MA or PhD level and with a background in South Asia related topics.For more information: https://www.toindia.it/#school
Deadline: June 15, 2025

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Looking for summer and fall semester classes in South Asian Studies? Here are some courses being offered this summer ’25 and fall ’25 in South Asian studies and by CSAS Affiliate Faculty!

Summer Courses:

• ASAN 466 – Transpacific Youth Pop Culture (Jade Lum)
• ASAN 491I – Topics in ASAS: South Asia – Women’s Rights in South Asia (Haider Hussain)
• BUS 315 – Global Management and Organizational Behavior (Dharm Bhavuk)
• GEO 102 – World Regional Geography (Pallavi Gupta)
• GEO 150 – Geography and Contemporary Society (Pallavi Gupta)
• HIST 241 – Civilizations of Asia (Abdul Khan)
• REL/WGSS 149 – Intro to the World’s Goddesses (A R Canden)
• REL 150 – Intro to the World’s Major Religions (Multiple Instructors)
• REL 211 – Understanding Ancient Religions (A R Candens)
• REL 149 – Intro to the World’s Goddesses (Amanda Canden)
• REL 209 – Understanding Islam (Clovis Karam)

Fall Courses: 

• ART 400C – Special Topics: Life of the Buddha (Paul Lavy)
• ART 791 – Seminar in South and Southeast Asian Art History (Paul Lavy)
• ASAN 150 – Intro Asia Research & Writing (TBD)
• ASAN 202 – Intro to Asian Studies: South & Southeast Asia (TBD)
• ASAN 303/DNCE 301/IP303 – Bollywood Dance, Music, & Film (Sai Bhatawadekar)
• ASAN 310 – Studying Asia Culturally (Anna Stirr)
• ASAN 654 – South Asia Now (Anna Stirr)
• ASAN 689 – International Relations in Asia (Shuxian Luo)
• GEO 102 – World Regional Geography (Pallavi Gupta)
• GEO 151 – Geography and Contemporary Society (Pallavi Gupta)
• HNDI 102, 202, 302 – Hindi and Urdu Language (Sai Bhatawadekar)
• HIST 301 – History of Early India (Jesse Knutson)
• HIST 401 – History of the Indian Ocean World (Ned Bertz)
• REL 149 – Intro to the World’s Goddesses (Amanda Canden)
• REL 150 – Intro to the World’s Major Religions (multiple sections &instructors)
• REL 207 – Understanding Buddhism (Michel Mohr)
• REL 475 – Seminar on Buddhism (Tibetan Buddhism) (K L Tsomo)
• SNSK 102 – Intro to Sanskrit (Jesse Knutson)
• SNSK 685 – Advanced Readings in Sanskrit (Jesse Knutson)
• SOC 218 – Intro to Social Problems (Nandita Sharma)
• SOC 411 – Analysis in Social Stratification (Nandita Sharma)
• PLAN 600 – Public Policy and Planning Theory (Ashok Das)
• PLAN 604 – Qualitative Methods Planning (Priyam Das)
• PLAN 659 – Research Design Seminar (Priyam Das)
• WGSS/SOC 418 – Gender and Work (Monisha Das Gupta)
• WGSS 439 – Feminist Theory (Monisha Das Gupta)

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COMMUNITY EVENTS

Brown Bag Spring 2025 Schedule 
including CSAS affiliate faculty events!

• April 17: “Letters: Living Archives of Everyday Politics” – Dr. Pallavi Gupta, Faculty, Department of Geography, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 
• April 24: “The Mahele of Our Bodies: Nā Moʻolelo Māhū/LGBTQ Kupuna” – Nohelani Teves, Associate Professor & Chair, Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

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Max Planck Institute for the History of Science – Postdoctoral Scholar

This postdoctoral position supports an early-career scholar whose research aligns with ASTRA’s focus on the history of astral sciences. We particularly welcome applications from scholars specializing in South or Central Asia, but encourage submissions from researchers working on other geographical regions as well.
For more information: https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=68621
Deadline: April 13, 2025

University of Pittsburgh, Asian Studies Center
Assistant Director for Academic Affairs

The Asian Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh is a hub for interdisciplinary research, education, and community engagement focused on Asia. With over 100 affiliated faculty, the Center supports a variety of academic programs and resources, including the East Asian Library, the National Consortium for Teaching About Asia, and funding opportunities for students and faculty. The Center serves students, faculty, K-12 educators, and the broader western Pennsylvania community. It is a U.S. Department of Education National Resource Center (NRC).
For more information: https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=68476
Deadline: April 16, 2025

Tulane University – Global Humanities Fellow

The Tulane Global Humanities Center invites applications for postdoctoral Global Humanities Fellows. We are seeking recent PhDs in the humanities and humanistic social sciences whose work explores or intersects with any of the following topics: port cities, global flows, blue humanities, critical ocean studies, logistics, and/or transnational environmental humanities. Region of specialization and historical period is open; we are particularly interested in comparative and multilingual work engaging the global South, the Mediterranean, and/or the Gulf South.
For more information: https://apply.interfolio.com/165316
Deadline: April 21, 2025

Austrian Academy of Sciences, Institute for the Cultural and Intellectual History of Asia – Principal Researcher (tenure-track), Philology of Buddhism

The Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW), the largest non-university institution for basic research in Austria, is seeking to fill at the Institute for the Cultural and Intellectual History of Asia (IKGA) a position of Principal Researcher focused on the Philology of Indian Buddhism.
For more information: https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=68694
Deadline: April 30, 2025

2025-2026 Fisher Center Postdoctoral Fellowship

In keeping with the Fisher Center’s mission of supporting research and dialogue about gender and justice through curricular, programmatic, and scholarly projects, the Fisher Center for the Study of Gender and Justice at Hobart and William Smith Colleges invites applications for our 2025-26 Postdoctoral Fellowship position beginning August 1, 2025. This is a full-time, one-year position with a teaching load of four courses per year. The fellow will teach one course per semester related to their research and the Fisher Center’s annual theme. The successful candidate will offer the other two courses in one or more of the following areas: Africana Studies, Asian Studies, Judaic Studies, Public Health, or Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectional Justice.
For more information: https://apply.interfolio.com/165917
Deadline: May 1, 2025

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga – Lecturer, Asian History

The Department of History at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, College of Arts and Sciences, invites applications for a non-tenure-track position at the rank of Lecturer with the anticipated start date of August 1, 2025. We are searching for a world historian with a focus on East, Central, or South Asian history—chronology and specialization are open. Review of applications will begin February 17, 2025.
For more information: https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=68522
Deadline: May 1, 2025

Nevada State University – Lecturer of History

The School of Liberal Arts, Sciences, & Business at Nevada State University invites applications for a 9-month Lecturer of History to begin in August 2025. The candidate should have expertise in an area of departmental need such as Asian, European, and/or African history and/or the history of underrepresented groups in the United States, and should be able to teach general education courses in U.S. history.
For more information: https://tinyurl.com/2u2zattv
Deadline: May 5, 2025

Binghamton University – Full-Time Lecturer in Asian American Studies

The Department of Asian and Asian American Studies at Binghamton University seeks a full-time lecturer in Asian American and/or Asian Diasporic cultural studies. 
For more information: https://tinyurl.com/458n67m4
Deadline: May 7, 2025

Yale University – Lector in Telugu

The South Asian Studies Council at the Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale University invites applications for a Lector in Telugu beginning July 1, 2025, for a three- year term, renewable, with rank dependent on qualifications/experience.
For more information: https://apply.interfolio.com/163546
Deadline: May 20, 2025

University of California Santa Cruz – Asian History Lecturer Pool

The Department of History at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) invites applications for an ongoing pool of lecturers with expertise in the fields of history of East Asia, history of Southeast Asia, and history of South Asia. 
For more information: https://tinyurl.com/58m9apm2
Deadline: June 14, 2025

Louisiana Tech University – Assistant Professor of History

Assistant Professor of History. The School of History and Social Sciences at Louisiana Tech University invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor to complement the faculty’s strength in U.S. history. Top priority will go to candidates with a strong research agenda in any field outside of North America, including Asia, Africa, Central and South America, and Eastern and Western Europe.
For more information: https://tinyurl.com/5ebzjn8c
Deadline: July 2, 2025

Azim Premji University, Bhopal – 3 Full-Time Faculty Positions in History

We invite applications for full-time faculty positions in early India and modern South Asia. We are currently looking for candidates who can teach a broad range of core and elective courses in their period of specialization, including courses such as Ancient World, Early India, Early Medieval South Asia, Colonial India, and more. We encourage applicants with a diverse teaching and research portfolio. 
For more information: https://azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/jobs/faculty-positions-in-history-4
Deadline: August 9, 2025

MIT – Program Manager, India/South Asia

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is seeking a program manager for the Center for International Studies-MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI), to be responsible for the management and overall development of the India program
For more information: https://tinyurl.com/2s4z5zed

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To submit content for future CSAS newsletters, 

please send information in the following format to csas@hawaii.edu in the body of an email. 

News/Opportunity/Event Title (and subtitle if applicable)
Organizing Entity
Relevant Date + Time + Location
Short Description, links for further information
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For all inquiries, please send an email to: csas@hawaii.edu