SWEDISH SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES NETWORK

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Lund 16 March 2004

By Staffan Lindberg, director and coordinator & Lars Eklund, webmaster/programme secretary

1. Introduction and summary

2. Organisation

2.1 SASNET’s board
2.2 The new board
2.3 Driving force
2.4 Gateway

3. Networking activities

3.1 Interacting with students, researchers and teachers
3.2 Newsletters
3.3 Planning and networking grants 2003
3.4 Courses and institution building
3.5 Working with Ph.D. students and supervisors
3.6 Media
3.7 Contact journey to Pakistan and Afghanistan
3.8 Root node public activities
3.9 Interaction with State agencies
3.10 Interaction with ambassadors
3.11 Other activities

4. Enclosures delivered along with the printed work report (as pdf-files):

Appendix 1: Budget for 2003
Appendix 2: Utfallsrapport för jan – dec 2003
Appendix 3: Budget for 2004
Appendix 4: Staffan Lindberg’s individual activities 2003
Appendix 5: Lars Eklund’s individual activities 2003
Appendix 6: SASNET Status Report, 24 January 2004
Appendix 7: Minutes from SASNET’s board meeting, August 27, 2002
Appendix 8: Minutes from SASNET’s board meeting, January 28, 2003
Appendix 9: Minutes from SASNET’s Board meeting, August 27, 2003
Appendix 10: Minutes from SASNET’s Board meeting, February 4, 2004

1. Introduction and summary

During 2003 we continued to network with old and new partners in order to sustain already established activities and to start new ones. The work follows the original plan drawn up for SASNET in October 2000 and subsequent plans made by the various board meetings. The board meetings on 27 August 2002 and on 28 January 2003 gave more precise directions.

During 2003 SASNET concentrated on:

• preparing for the 18th European Conference on Modern South Asian Studies, Lund University 6–9 July, 2004
• a contact journey to Pakistan and Afghanistan in November - December 2003
• further development of SASNET’s Internet Gateway by mastering new programming techniques
• funding and supporting the planning of 17 new research and education projects across Sweden
• preparing candidates for SASNET’s new board of for the period 2004–2006
• follow-up meetings with network partners in Stockholm, Uppsala, Karlstad and Göteborg
• interaction over the Internet and via telephone with a large number of Swedish and South Asian students and scholars, providing information and contacts
• an attempt to organise a Nordic Research School for Asia, NorfAsia.
• further development of the Öresund Network of Asian Studies
• assisting the start of the Masters Programme in Asian Studies at Lund University
• continued organisation of an undergraduate programme in South Asian Studies at Österlen’s Folk High School
• interaction with Sida’s Asia division through seminars, lectures and consultations
• interaction about Swedish trade and business development in relation to India with the Asia division at the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• interaction with the Swedish Ministry of Education about the future of South Asian studies in Sweden
• interaction with the Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies at Lund University about joint projects like a comparative India-China Research programme
• interaction with researchers in the Dept. of History of Religions, Lund University and the Faculty of the Humanities about a new professorship in Indian religions
• interaction with the ambassadors of India and Pakistan about various issues
• organisation of lectures and seminars at Lund University

More specifically we have:

• worked with the Conference on Swedish Development Studies Research called ’Fattiga och Rika.’ at Lund University 9-11 January 2003
• participated in the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ India Seminar, 12 February, 2003
• participated in the Indo-Swedish Joint Commission’s 14th session in New Delhi, 1–2 April, 2003
• participated in Roskilde University Centre’s seminar about “Religious Mobilisation and Organised Violence in Contemporary South Asia”, 3-4 April 2003
• assisted the consultancy firm Sema Belgium in Brussels to organise a network of Nordic South Asia consultants to the European Commission
• arranged a seminar at Sida on 28 August on the theme ’Where is India heading for?’

Our expenses were according to the budget approved by the board on 28 January 2003. For the years 2000 – 2003 there is a surplus of SEK 250 000, which can be used for the EASAS conference in July 2004. (See Appendix 1: Balance sheet for 2002, http://www.sasnet.lu.se/balancesheets03.pdf, and Appendix 2: Utfallsrapport för jan – dec 2003, http://www.sasnet.lu.se/utfall03.pdf).

With these activities and results, we believe that we have reached the targets set for 2003. We also feel that the networking activities have helped us develop our ideas about what SASNET is and ought to be.

The results so far have mainly been a strengthening of the resource base and the interaction among researchers and Ph.D. students, making them more self-confident, helping them make better applications for research grants, etc. We feel that we are building a strong intellectual and social community of South Asia scholars in Sweden. We have also begun to recruit new students at the undergraduate and master’s level, which is a pre-condition for the recruitment ofnew PhD students later on.

Plans for 2004

On 3 February 2004 the new board set the agenda for SASNET’s activities in 2004 (for the Minutes see Appendix 10).
The main objectives should be to promote existing higher education and research programmes related to South Asia, and to take initiatives to new ones. SASNET should promote more student/teacher/researcher exchange between Sweden and South Asian universities, including the signing of formal MOU’s between partners that develop specific exchange and co-operation programmes.

More specifically SASNET’s objectives are to:

• Improve the Internet Gateway with information about news lists, discussion groups, and research in fields that are strong in the Nordic countries.
• Follow up the projects that receive SASNET’s planning grants.
• Make SASNET’s name visible in all possible ways including organising or co-organising events in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo and Helsinki.
• Start new undergraduate and graduate courses related to South Asia.
• Work with the development of PhD programmes including so called sandwich programmes, doctoral courses, summer courses, etc.
• Promote the invitation of researchers and guest lecturers from South Asia to visit Sweden and the other Nordic countries.
• Promote co-operation in the universities for more courses, positions and funds related to South Asian studies, and for the development of South Asian Studies Centres
• Network more with government agencies, public bodies, NGOs and business.
• Work with all the countries in South Asia, but give some extra attention to Afghanistan and Nepal.

2. Organisation

2.1 SASNET’s board

Decisions taken at the board meeting on August 27 2002 were guiding most of our activities (see Appendix 7, point 6).

During 2003, the board held two meetings.

28 January:

The following priorities for SASNET’s work during 2003 – 2005 were decided (point 4):
1) continue to develop the Internet Gateway as a research tool for PhD students and researchers and as a source of information to schools, media, government, business and NGOs. Use the gateway as a platform for dialogue, consultations and information work. Develop recommended reading with articles of general interest and book reviews
2) give all possible support to those who have received planning grants from SASNET
3) support already started courses at undergraduate and masters level
4) take initiative to new courses at undergraduate, masters and PhD level
5) support existing PhD students in various ways and try to stimulate the recruitment of new PhD students
6) promote new types of research projects and programmes relevant to South Asia
7) plan the 18th Conference on Modern South Asian Studies arranged by SASNET and Lund University in July 2004

For a full report, see http://www.sasnet.lu.se/board0301.pdf (Appendix 8)

26 August:

Activities decided in August – December 2003 (point 11):
1. Establishing the new Masters Programme in Asian Studies in Lund and a new undergraduate course at Österlen’s folk high school
2. Development of the website by bringing in more dynamic programming
3. Sida seminar on the future of South Asia, 28 August
4. Participation in the launch of a new book ”Political Visions and Social Realities in Contemporary South India” edited by Lars Berge and Gunnel Cederlöf Dalarna University, 5 September (a project made possible through a SASNET planning grant)
5. Introduction of a Work Report Series
6. New board, suggestion to the Vice-Chancellor of Lund University
7. Seminars in Karlstad and Göteborg, suggested dates 24 and 25 September
8. Contact journey to Pakistan and Afghanistan in November
9. Investigate if it is possible to establish more undergraduate courses in South Asian Studies in folk high schools, for example, Geijerskolan, Ljungskile, Biskops Arnö, Lidingö. If possible, find suitable academic partners for this
10. Continued planning of the 18th Conference on Modern South Asian Studies

For a full report, see http://www.sasnet.lu.se/board0302.pdf (Appendix 11)

2.2 The New Board

On 13 November 2003, the Vice-Chancellor of Lund University appointed SASNET’s board for the period 2004 – 2006. For the new board members, see http://www.sasnet.lu.se/organisation.html. Professor Björn Hettne, PADRIGU, Göteborg University is the chairperson, and Associate Professor Rajni Hatti Kaul, Department of Biotechnology, Lund University is the deputy chairperson. The new board held its first meeting on February 3, 2004 (see Appendix 10)

2.3 Driving force

Staffan Lindberg worked as Director and Coordinator (50/50) Besides work at the root node, which is included in this general report, his individual activities related to South Asian studies are reported in Appendix 4 (http://www.sasnet.lu.se/staffanact03.pdf).
Lars Eklund worked as full-time Webmaster and Programme Secretary. Besides work at the root node, which is included in the general report, his individual activities related to South Asian studies are reported in Appendix 5 (http://www.sasnet.lu.se/larsact03.pdf).

Jan Magnusson worked 50% part-time as Programme Co-ordinator for the Masters Programme in Asian Studies during January – March. This work was funded by a special grant from Lund University, and administered by SASNET until the programme had found an institutional base. After that Magnusson became the Director of Studies at the Centre for East- and South-East Asian Studies. Boel Billgren, acting head of the International Office coordinated the organisational efforts on behalf of SASNET. A number of other persons, including Mr. Lars Magnusson, Anders Odeskog, Birgitta Hansson, and Birgitta Devlin at the International Office generously assisted SASNET with their services of administration, data operations, and language editing.
SASNET also received support from the Department of Sociology (providing free office space for Staffan Lindberg, allowing us to use their lecture halls and conference rooms, and helping with photocopying, etc.).
We also received generous support from the Office for Continuing and Distance Education headed by Mr. Lennart Badersten, which has supplied computer hardware to SASNET and financed a new search engine for the Internet Gateway.

In November, SASNET moved its office to the Centre for East- and South-East Asian Studies (ACE). SASNET is still attached to the International Office, from where the economy administration is handled. We rent office space and buy some administrative services from ACE. We werevery warmly received by ACE’s staff!

On 28 January 2003 the board suggested to the Vice-chancellor that Staffan Lindberg should be re-appointed as Director and Coordinator for the period 2004-2006. It also decided to re-appoint Lars Eklund as Webmaster/Programme Secretary for the period 2004-2005 (for which funding is secured). (See Appendix 8).

2.4 Gateway

The Internet Gateway is now established as a reliable and thorough source of information for
students, researchers and other persons interested in South Asian studies. It has received worldwide attention and recognition for its wealth of useful information. In the beginning of March 2004 it has had more than 24 000 visitors since 5 August 2001 when it was originally launched. Since this is SASNET's main tool of communication a lot of time is spent updating and developing its content. New information is added on a daily basis, and the work is done on a journalistic basis.

3. Networking Activities

3.1 Interacting with students, researchers and teachers

For a summary of our main activities, see also SASNET Status Report, 24 January 2004 (Appendix 6).
During 2003 we interacted with a large number of researchers, teachers and students by the exchanging e-mails and telephone calls. In all these contacts we used our Internet Gateway as a source of information.
During the same period we met several partners (including those documented in Appendices 4 and 5).
SASNET participated actively in the working group that organised the Sida/SAREC funded conference about Swedish Development studies research called “Fattiga och rika. Aktuell utvecklingsforskning och dess villkor i Sverige” at Lund University, 9–11 January 2003. Several of the presented research projects were related to South Asia. See SASNET’s list of , most of them accompanied by abstracts. Representatives from the research councils, from Sida, and the Swedish universities also participated in a fruitful discussion about the future for Swedish development aid studies. A summary of the discussion has been prepared by SASNET’s Staffan Lindberg. Read his report! (In Swedish only).
SASNET participated actively in Roskilde University Centre’s Seminar on Religious Mobilisation and Organised Violence in Contemporary South Asia”, 3-4 April 2003 (Read the extensive SASNET review of the Roskilde seminar and the papers presented).
During 2003, we interacted more intensively with the Centre for East and South-East Asian studies at Lund University. We are engaged in a dialogue about a joint comparative research programme about India and China.
During most of 2003 we planned and networked around the 18th European Conference on Modern South Asian Studies in Lund 6-9 July 2004. The conference is now well planned, see, http://www.sasnet.lu.se/EASAS18.html). There will be about 45 panels with papers, see http://www.sasnet.lu.se/panels04.html

3.2 Newsletters

SASNET distributes monthly newsletters and update the Internet gateway continuously.
The distribution list contains about 600 e-mail addresses and is continuously being updated.

Dates for the publication of our newsletters during 2002 were:

• Newsletter 23. January 21, 2003

• Newsletter 24. February, 12, 2003

• Newsletter 25. March, 17, 2003

• Newsletter 26. April, 17, 2003

• Newsletter 27. May, 13, 2003

• Newsletter 28. June, 12, 2003

• Newsletter 29. July, 11, 2003

• Newsletter 30. August, 12, 2003

• Newsletter 31. September, 12, 2003

• Newsletter 32. October, 13, 2003

• Newsletter 33. November, 13, 2003

• Newsletter 34. December, 7, 2003

All the newsletters can be found on the following site: http://www.sasnet.lu.se/sasnetf.html.
They represent a detailed archive of all major activities in SASNET during the year with links to relevant documents and homepages.

3.3 Planning and Networking Grants 2003

The reference group, consisting of Prof. Pamela Price (Department of History, Oslo) – who was replaced by Prof. Knut Jacobsen (Department of History of Religions, Bergen University) for the August meeting, Dr. Neil Webster (Centre for Development Research, Copenhagen), and Dr. Malin Åkerblom (International Science Programme, Uppsala), decided to approve grants to the following persons and programmes (http://www.sasnet.lu.se/grants.html):

Decisions made on 28 January, 2003

Planning grants for research projects/programmes:

• Ahmad, Alia, Department of Economics, Lund University: “Community Management of Open water Inland Fisheries – A comparative study of cases from Bangladesh and India.” SEK 75 000.
• Karlsson, Pia, Institute of International Education, Stockholm University. "Education in Afghanistan." SEK 23 000.
• Holm, Magnus, Department of Molecular Biology, Göteborg University. "Analysis of light regulated gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana." SEK 75 000.
• Djurfeldt, Göran, Department of Sociology, Lund University. "Agricultural development and social mobility in two agrarian ecotypes in Tamil Nadu." SEK 75 000.
• Norström, Christer, Department of Social Anthropology, Stockholm University: “Livelihood strategies among forest-related tribal groups of South India.” SEK 108 000.
• Burghoorn, Wil, Centre for Asian Studies, Göteborg University. "International Conference on Women and Politics in Asia." SEK 20 000.
• Singh, Nandita, Department of Land and Water Resources Management, Royal Institute of Technology , Stockholm. "Problems and Prospects of Sustainable Water Resources Management in India: An Insight from Gender Perspective." SEK 30 000.

Planning grant for education project

• Hatti, Neelambar, Department of Economic History, Lund University. "Networking for a Masters Program in South Asian Studies." SEK 30 000.

Decisions made on 26 August, 2003

Planning grants for research programmes/projects:

• Kumar, Ashok, Department of Biotechnology, Lund University. ”Low-cost Protein Bioseparation Technology· A Realistic Option for the Bioindustry of Developing Countries.” SEK 40 000
• Magnusson, Jan, Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University. ”The Baltistan Movement in the Northern Areas, Pakistan.” SEK 70 000
• Lindblad, Bo, Department of Public Health, Division of International Health, Karolinska Institutet Medical University. ”Pregnancy and Infancy in South Asia (PISA).” SEK 90 000
• Ahmad, Alia, Department of Economics, Lund University: “Institutional Reforms in the Health Sector of Bangladesh and India.” SEK 45 000
• Olsson, Olof, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Göteborg University. ”Development of Stress tolerant Rice Cultivars for Nepal.” SEK 70 000
• Persson, Lars Åke, International Maternal and Child Health (IMCH), Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University. ”Network for Interventions against Maternal-Child Malnutrition in South Asia.” SEK 25 000
• Singh, Ravinder Pal, Centre for Pacific Asia Studies (CPAS), Stockholm University. ”Security Sector Governance in Southern Asia: a case study of Indian Parliamentary Oversight of Security Sector.” SEK40 000

Planning grants for education programmes/projects:

• Hatti, Neelambar, Department of Economic History, Lund University. ”The Masters Program in Asian Studies in Lund: Networking for alternative options to ISEC.” SEK 25 000
• Nilsson, Kjell, Department of Sociology, Lund University. ”Globalisation and Transformation in a Comparative Perspective – a Masters Course on the Internet.” SEK 50 000

An important additional support in the planning is, that we also can recommend the recipients of planning grants for the Swedish Institute’s travel grants.

3.4 Courses and institution building

The Masters Programme in Asian Studies at Lund University started on 1 September 2003. The South Asian studies’ track has 15 students and the courses during the fall have been successful. Jan Magnusson is the Director of Studies of the programme, which is based in the Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies (ACE). The programme was given a planning grant for networking with partners in South Asia. For information about the programme, see http://www.ace.lu.se/o.o.i.s/5938.

The Masters Programme in South Asian Studies at Uppsala University is continuing, but with less students than in Lund. Compared to the programme in Lund, the emphasis is more on languages. The commitment to develop this programme is very strong among the teachers. We have suggested that the programme seeks planning support from SASNET to build out its contacts in South Asia for student exchange .

We continued to work with a one-year academic undergraduate course about India/South Asia at Österlen’s Folk High School (20 credit points). The teachers come from sociology, human ecology, and anthropology and the programme is now in its third year (see: http://www.osterlen.fhsk.se/sydasien/sydindex.htm).

In late 2003 and early 2004 we took a new initiative to start more undergraduate courses at folk high schools. Teachers were identified in Karlstad, Göteborg, Uppsala and Stockholm and are now discussing how they can realise these intentions.

We also helped teachers and PhD students to organise a section for Indian studies at the Department of History of Religions at Lund University. We were a part in a discussion at the Department of Theology which led to a new chair professorship in Indian religions (announced in December 2003).

Through contacts and a planning grant SASNET has helped the international Masters course at Lund University “Globalisation and Transformation in a Comparative Perspective”, organised by Kjell Nilsson and Jan-Olof Nilsson, to find an Indian partner at Banaras Hindu University at Varanasi and the Univeristy of Mumbai. One partner is Prof. Dipak Malik who visited Lund on 20 September 2002, and who is already in our network . The Masters programme is a very interesting web-based programme in co-operation with Fudan University in Shanghai and universities in Eastern Europe and Germany.

SASNET has been very active in organising co-operation within Øresund Network of Asian Studies, ØRNAST (See http://www.sasnet.lu.se/ornast.html), which is now ready to go ahead with more intensive exchange activities.

3.5 Working with Ph.D. students and supervisors

SASNET held follow-up seminars to the Marstrand Symposium in November 2002, in Stockholm and Uppsala in May, 2003, and in Karlstad and Göteborg in September 2003 (for reports, see http://www.sasnet.lu.se/followupmeet.html). These seminars were well attended and we both consolidated our network and extended it to include new partners. Many of the ideas that we are now promoting come from these seminars.

In 2003 we helped in the planning of a Nordic Graduate School in Asian Studies (NorfAsia), organised by Björn Hettne, PADRIGU, and NIAS, Copenhagen. In the end NorFA did not approve the grant proposal (we ended up in 6th position, and only five proposals were approved). The planning should not go to waste, but be used to develop programmes and courses locally at the universities that were involved in the application. See http://www.sasnet.lu.se/norfasia.pdf.

For example, SASNET and Lund University will arrange an independent, interdisciplinary research training course for masters and PhD students on Religion, Conflict and Identity in South And Southeast Asia, in the academic year 2004–05. Lectures and seminars constitute a 7.5 ECTS reading course, and an additional 7.5 ECTS are awarded for writing a paper. The course supplies the students with overviews of the broader religious developments in South and South-East Asia, as well as with in-depth analyses of three cases where religious affiliation has served as important identity markers and sources of conflict. Course leaders are Dr. Catarina Kinnvall, Dept. of Political Science; Dr. Sidsel Hansson, Centre for Theology and Religious Studies (CTR); and PhD Candidate Ann Kull, CTR. For further information, see http://www.sasnet.lu.se/sidselcourse04.pdf.

3.6 Media

We are continuously updating our page called “Recommended reading/listening for South Asia scholars” (see http://www.sasnet.lu.se/recreading.html) with new interesting articles.

3.7 Contact journey to Pakistan and Afghanistan in November – December 2003

The contact journey to Pakistan and Kabul was fruitful. We have made many new contacts. One of the effects is that a number of scholars from Pakistan have announced their participation in the 18th 18th Conference on Modern South Asian Studies i. There is also a proposal to organise a programme for Pakistani PhD students in Sweden financed by Pakistan’s government.

We were extremely well and warmly received by various partners in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, and Kabul. The local hospitality made the whole journey inexpensive, total cost being around SEK 60 000 for two persons, including all travelling, board and lodging.

We are very happy about the new spirit of reconciliation between India and Pakistan. If sustained it will also be a great help in SASNET’s work.

For a full report from our journey, see http://www.sasnet.lu.se/journeytwo.html.

3.8 Root node public activities

We have organised lectures, seminars, and concerts in Lund. For a full list see http://www.sasnet.lu.se/lundactiv.html.

3.9 Interaction with State agencies

SASNET participated in the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ India Seminar, 12 February, 2003. Staffan Lindberg gave a short lecture on Economics, politics and cultural codes: What does Hindu nationalism mean for India’s development? (See http://www.sasnet.lu.se/forumasia.html)

At the Indo-Swedish Joint Commission’s 14th session in New Delhi, 1–2 April, 2003. SASNET was represented by staff member Jan Magnusson. The Commission’s agenda consisted mainly of issues of industry and trade but also science and technology. The Swedish delegation was led by Sweden’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Mr Leif Pagrotsky. For a report, see http://www.sasnet.lu.se/delhireport.html.

SASNET coordinator Staffan Lindberg gave a lecture about “Where is India going?” at Sida, Stockholm on 28 August.

SASNET helped in forming an Indo-European Think Tank Network for research and policy advice and consultancies to the European Commission in Brussels.

3.10 Interaction with ambassadors

During the year we interacted on several occasions with the Ambassador of Pakistan, Shahid A. Kamal and the Ambassador of India, Ms Chitra Narayanan. In May 2003 we also met the Counsellor of the Indian Embassy Mr. Sachdeva and discussed Swedish – Indian future co-operation in the academic and other fields.

3.11 Other activities

During 2003 we lectured at universities, schools, folk highs schools, teachers’ seminars, etc. (See among others, Appendice 4, and Appendice 5)