SWEDISH SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES NETWORK

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Department of Tourism Studies, School of Communication, Technology and Design, Södertörn University College, Huddinge

Postal address: Turismprogrammet, Institutionen för kommunikation, medier och it, SE-141 89 Huddinge, Sweden
Visiting adress: Alfred Nobels Allé 7, Flemingsberg
Web page: http://tur.sh.se/

Research and education connected to South Asia

Till 2007, Mr. Ashok Nath was connected to the department as a part-time external teacher in the Tourism Studies Programme for several years (and before that he was connected to the Dept. of Human Geography at Södertörn University College (more information below). Formally, he was a PhD candidate at the department and planned for two research projects connected to South Asia: ”An Ethno-Geographical study on the region of Jammu and Kashmir, and ”Maoist Guerilla War in the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal”. Lack of funding however prohibited him from carrying out the projects.
He usually lectured on Ecotourism and Sustainability (Turism och lokal påverkan), since he has previously studied the Zanskar region (”the highest mountain kingdom in the Himalayas”), dealing with how tourism has effected the area and how concepts of eco-tourism and sustainability apply to this region in India.
He was also been involved in other South Asia related activities at Södertörn University College, holding a seminar on Afghanistan, and also lectured at the Dept. of Political Science, in a course on Politics in South Asia called ”Asian Politics and Democracy”.
Nath’s main focus of research is South Asian Conflict History. In February 2004 he was awarded a Senior Fellowship for three years, upto 2007, at the United Services Institute of India (USI), New Delhi, India, and also a chair in Indian Military History (the Rana Partap Chair in Indian Military (Conflict) History). In reality this means Ashok Nath spent around four months a year in India. USI is India's premier Institute for Military Studies, besides being Asia's oldest Military institute of higher learning, founded in 1870. Amongst its other activities it educates officers of the United Nations Emergency Forces in Peace Keeping.

Ashok Nath is currently living in the Bangladesh. He is however registered as a PhD Candidate at the Dept. of History, Stockholm University. He also keeps his contacts with USI in Delhi, and at the moment he is involved with writing on the history of the Indian and Pakistani armies.
He is working on a major research project on ”Regimental Lineage, ethnic composition and regimental badges of the Indian Army 1750-2003”. The whole work will comprise three volumes and is being done for the USI and the Centre of Armed Forces Historical Research, located in Delhi. It is a study of the various regiments of the Armies of India from the time of the East India Company to Independence and after, also including armies of the Princely States of India prior to 1947 which were absorbed into the Indian and Pakistan Armies after 1947. The oldest of these being the Forces of Udaipur in Rajathan which date back to the 13th century. Specifically, the study concentrates on ethnic recruitment, evolution of the regimental insignia and lineage of the regiments. This study will be documented into a trilogy comprising Cavalry, Infantry, and other Arms and Services. In December 2008, the first volume was published in India. The title is ”Izzat – Historical Records and Iconography of Indian Cavalry Regiments 1750-2007”. More information about the book.

Department of Human Geography closed down

Professor Jan Nyström (photo to the right) was Head of the Department of Human Geography at Södertörn University College. He tragically passed away on 19 May 2003. Nyström who was only 51 years old had a special affection for India, and he was a strong supporter of the setting up a special South Asia Research Unit, SARU, at Södertörn.
An organisational restructuring was made on 1 January 2004. The discipline of Human Geography was then integrated into the Department of Natural Sciences (Institutionen för Kemi, Biologi, Geografi och Miljövetenskap).