Plan for a Swedish South Asian Studies Network:

October 2000

I. Basic ideas:

A Swedish South Asian Studies Network will involve and integrate researchers from the natural sciences, medicine, technology, social sciences, law, and humanities. It starts with the idea that South Asian studies can be most fruitfully pursued by a co-operation between researchers from various disciplines, who are active in their ordinary institutional environments, but linked together via a network into programmes focused on South Asian studies. It should be seen as an intellectual venture in its own right, enriching and cross-disciplinary. We want to avoid becoming an institute based on area studies.

An active network root node with a network co-ordinator and a secretary/webmaster will be based in Lund. It will have library facilities such as some leading journals and reference literature as well as a space for small meetings. From this base we want to run a powerful Internet Gateway for communication and information search in South Asian studies.

What is the network heading for?

Research

With the participation of Swedish, international and South Asia based researchers, the network root node will arrange a series of consultations, workshops and conferences about future South Asian oriented research programmes. Hopefully, a number of programmes with the participation of senior researchers and research students will emerge. Each programme will involve several universities and researchers but will be led by a co-ordinator from one of the institutions participating in the programme.

A co-ordinator will be appointed in open competition by the network's board for a period of 5 years. The co-ordinator will handle applications, workshops, information, etc.

Possible research programmes

As mentioned above, research programmes will be developed through a series of meetings with national and international scholars during the first year. Some suggestions for possible programmes, based in Swedish/Nordic competence in South Asia studies, could be:

- Water, food technology, livelihood, and sustainable development;
- Industrial pollution and environmental management;
- Security, intra- and international relations and dynamics in South Asia;
- Reason and revelation: The confrontation between science and religion in South Asian history;
- Hindu-Muslim interaction in historical perspective;
- Nationalism and political development in South Asia;
- Decentralisation, popular participation and the role of the state in development;
- Gender and economic and political development;
- Basic education, especially for women;

The gender dimension should be an important dimension in all programmes.

Education

The network node will actively initiate and promote the development of a number of undergraduate and graduate courses in South Asian studies at Swedish and Nordic universities, and, if possible, in partnership with South Asian universities. In the beginning the courses will be multidisciplinary on a Master's level, and will be open to students from all over the world. Depending on the syllabus, they can also include South Asian students. Wherever applicable, the courses will be Internet based and use the latest technology in distance learning. A Dual Model ICT based learning is now being developed as Lund University Virtual Interactive Tool - LUVIT. An international network for Masters' courses can be built with the participation of centres of excellence in South Asia and Europe (for example, from Lund, Amsterdam, and Delhi universities).

The network will promote PhD studies specialising on South Asia in various ways, including the support of single research students in institutions that do not specialise on South Asia, arranging PhD courses (for example, in co-operation with the Nordic Network of co-operation in researcher training in International Development Studies co-ordinated by International Development Studies at Roskilde University), and promoting networking among PhD students.

It will also actively promote student and researcher exchange between Sweden (the Nordic countries) and South Asia and co-operate with the Nordic Centre for South Asian Studies in India, that is presently being started by Nordic universities.

Another ambition is to co-operate with Swedish companies, which are active in South Asia, by designing courses for professionals working in the region.

Besides this, the network will attempt:

- together with other institutions to build an information system for South Asian studies with documentation functions and library services for researchers and students,

- co-ordinate consultations and exchange of information between researchers and governments, foreign ministries, aid directorates, other public institutions, media, private business, and NGOs,

- encourage and promote public education through service to information networks, media, schools, etc.,

- promote teachers' education in South Asian topics by co-operating with institutions like Folkuniversitetet and NGO's involved in such education. (As an example, we helped Folkuniversitetet in Lund to arrange a two day course about India on 9-10 October.)

Organisation

Leadership

The network will be supervised by a board consisting of, local, national, and international representatives. The board will hire all the employed persons in the programmes on merit and in open competition. The network co-ordinator, webmaster, and the programme co-ordinators will form a policy group. This group can also include some international representatives for network partners.

Gateway to South Asian studies

The Internet Gateway will consist of hierarchically organised hypertext links leading to various websites for South Asia activities and information. The gateway will link up with other similar sites, such as NIAS' SUPRA network, and Norskt Forum for Soer-Asia (NoFSA), etc. It will be set up together with Lund Virtual University, which is a gateway and a community for Internet based education that is globally accessible through a satellite system.

II. Network organisation

1. The Board

Composition
The board should consist of about ten members including the chairperson. It could have substitutes in order to broaden input. The members of the board and its chairperson will be selected and appointed by the Vice Chancellor at Lund University. It is important that the board members are committed to the concept of an open and flexible network, which means doing new things in relation to more traditional institutional work at the universities. The board should include at least some 'boundary role occupants' who can bring in perspectives from the larger environment of South Asian studies as we have defined the tasks of the network.

A possible composition of the board could be (very much open to discussion):

1. Network co-ordinator (without voting power)
2. Two representatives for researchers at Lund University
3. Two representatives for researchers at other universities and colleges in Sweden
4. One doctoral student from Sweden
5. One Nordic researcher interacting with the network
6. Two internationally recognised researchers, of whom at least one comes from South Asia
7. One representative for Sida-SAREC
8. One representative for Swedish Companies working in South Asia
9. One representative for the a Swedish NGO working in South Asia

Functions of the board
Based on processed applications the board will select and appoint network co-ordinator, webmaster, and programme co-ordinators. It will decide on the annual and the long-term budget.
The board will discuss and decide activity plans submitted by the co-ordinator, webmaster and programme co-ordinators. It will assess performance against clearly stated objectives.

Board meetings will take place at least three times a year, of which at least one can be Internet based. Suitable times for meetings would be May, September and December.

2. Network Node

The role of the Network Node is to lead the network's daily activities, take initiatives to new activities and support ongoing programmes. It will also stimulate and facilitate network interaction.

Network co-ordinator
The network will be led by a network co-ordinator, who should be an experienced South Asia researcher, teacher and programme builder, and who has well-established contacts and familiarity with the South Asian region. The co-ordinator should plan and carry out various activities in close collaboration with programme co-ordinators and South Asian, Swedish and international network partners. Given the idea of a flexible and dynamic network of activities his/her main role should be that of a 'broker', linking up people and resources, building new activities and supporting programme co-ordinators in their work.

The position should be part time and not more than 50 %. Ideally, the working time of the co-ordinator should be flexible so as to enable, for instance, increased input when so required in order to support the programmes and build up new ones.

Webmaster/secretary
The main task of the webmaster/secretary is to handle the network's communication system through the Internet Gateway. He/she will also serve as secretary and handle the administration of the network. This position is also part time and not more than 50 %. The webmaster/secretary should be a person who is well acquainted with South Asia through research and who has the skill to operate an Internet Gateway.

Institutional affiliation
During the initial period the network will be operating at the International Office directly under the Vice Chancellor of Lund University.

3. Research and Educational Programmes

Research programmes
A number of multidisciplinary programmes with the participation of senior researchers and research students will be developed within the network. The programmes should be based on broad research themes capable of mobilising researchers and doctoral students across Sweden and South Asia and also actively promoting research training and multidisciplinary work in various ways. Each programme will involve several universities and researchers but will be led by a programme node with a co-ordinator from one of the institutions participating in the programme. The budget for the programme node will cover a small part time salary for the co-ordinator (maximum 2 months per year) and seed money to develop research projects within the programme theme. The seed money should be used for seminars, meetings, guests, and application work.

In applying for research funding to various agencies, the research programmes should be assisted by the network node.

Each research programme co-ordinator will be appointed in open competition by the network's board for a period of 5 years. The co-ordinator will bring researchers together in workshops, serve with information, and help with applications for research money.


Educational programmes
In the beginning the work with educational programmes will consist of seed money to develop various initiatives from university institutions. Initially, we believe that we can help launching one or two internationally recognised, multidisciplinary Master's programmes based in the social sciences and humanities. We will also promote various courses at the undergraduate level as well as PhD studies in various ways (see Basic ideas above, section on Education).

The board will, on the basis of applications, select programmes and co-ordinators and fund certain activities for a limited time period. The size of funds will not be uniform as in the case of research programmes, but will vary according to the needs of particular education programmes.

III. Building the network and its organisation

The first two years (2001-2002) will be an open process aiming at establishing a sustainable structure for the promotion of research, education, exchange and the other tasks defined in the network plan. In this work, both short-term activities and more long-term activities will be developed. A gradual build-up will enable and facilitate interaction between the working group and other parties interested in the network. It also means a gradual commitment of funds for research programmes, Master's courses and other activities.

The work will be led by the current working group until a board has been appointed and a co-ordinator and webmaster for the network node has been selected. The present chairperson of the working group will continue to work as co-ordinator until then.

The aim is to nominate and constitute a board and work out its task during the spring of 2001 and not later than the end of July 2001. The network node, its tasks, and staff will be fully operational during the fall of 2001 and not later than the end of December 2001. The board will select the network co-ordinator and the webmaster and appoint them for a limited time period.

During the year 2001, the cost for the current working group (salaries, travel, etc.) as well as for the board will be about the same as the estimated cost for running the network node when the whole network is established. However, the cost for organising an international workshop is added to these costs.

A monitoring procedure will be established as soon as possible.

Network activities during 2001

1. Building an Internet Gateway - Gateway to South Asian Studies. This will require a specialist in web design (hired on a temporary basis) and will be carried out in co-operation with Lund Virtual University. Start work on a comprehensive information system (dissemination, public relations, etc).

2. Building the functions of the board and finding suitable members.

3. Further developing the organisation of the network node and its staff, tasks etc.

4. Continued work with the development of research themes and organisation of research programmes in close collaboration with the various researchers involved in the network. The aim is to get some programmes started during the fall of 2001.

5. Continued work with the development of education programmes in close collaboration with teachers interacting with the network. One aim is to get some planning groups started during the spring of 2001, so that some courses can start either during the fall of 2001 or the spring semester of 2002.

6. The organisation of an international workshop with specially invited participants on how to build and run SASNET in a useful and sustainable way. Time: August 2001, after the board has been appointed. Participants: 5 South Asian researchers, 5 international researchers, 10 Swedish researchers, the SASNET working group and board members. Total cost around 250 000.

7. Keep contact with the NASA working group for the establishment of a Nordic study centre at Delhi.

8. Start to develop a network of collaboration with researchers and research institutions in South Asia in order to be able to act as a broker between students, researchers and these institutions.

9. Start to develop a network of collaboration with European South Asia research institutions and centres (Heidelberg, Leiden, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, etc.) as well as with some of the most important non-European ones.

10. Interact with Sida for exchange of views, consultations, etc.

Network activities during 2002

In the beginning of 2002, a network organisation should be fully established and the emphasis on research and education programmes should be fully implemented.

This also means that the network will work with the 'third task' which is:

- keeping the Internet Gateway updated and promoting communication in all possible ways

- co-ordinating consultations and exchange of information between researchers and governments, foreign ministries, aid directorates, other public institutions, media, private business, and NGOs,

- encouraging and promoting public education through service to information networks, media, schools, etc.,

- promoting teachers' education in South Asian topics by co-operating with institutions like Folkuniversitetet and NGO's involved in such education, and

- working with educational courses to serve Swedish and South Asian companies' needs for basic and specialised knowledge.