SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON South A Centre of South Asian Studies ANNUAL REVIEW ISSUE 75: September 2010 - August 2011 SOAS STUDYING AT SOAS The international environment and CONTENTS cosmopolitan character of the School make student life a challenging, rewarding and exciting experience. We welcome students 3 Letter from the Chair from more than 130 countries, and more 4 Centre Members than 45% of them are from outside the UK. 6 Members News The SOAS Library has more than 1.5 million 14 Annoucements items and extensive electronic resources. It 18 Academic Events Summary is the national library the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East and attracts scholars all 20 Event Reports over the world. 32 Research Students 34 Charles Wallace Visiting Fellowships SOAS offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees. 36 Research & Enterprise Students can choose from more than 38 Centre for the Study of Pakistan 400 undergraduate degree combinations 39- Join the Centre and from more than 80 postgraduate programmes (taught and distance learning) in the social sciences, humanities and languages with a distinctive regional focus The School of Oriental and African Studies and global relevance, taught by world- (SOAS) is a college of the University of London renowned teachers in specialist faculties. and the only Higher Education institution in the UK specialising in the study of Asia, Africa The School is consistently ranked among and the Near and Middle East. the top higher education institutions in the UK and the world. The School’s academic SOAS is a remarkable institution. Uniquely excellence has also been recognised in combining language scholarship, disciplinary research assessment exercises (RAEs) expertise and regional focus, it has the largest concentration in Europe of academic SOAS offers a friendly, vibrant environment staff concerned with Africa, Asia and the right in the buzzing heart of London. The Middle East. capital’s rich cultural and social life is literally on its doorstep and offers students School of Oriental and African Studies On the one hand, this means that an unparalleled environment in which to live University of London SOAS remains a guardian of specialised and study. Thornhaugh Street knowledge in languages and periods and Russell Square regions not available anywhere else in the London WC1H 0XG UK. On the other hand, it means that SOAS scholars grapple with pressing issues - www.soas.ac.uk democracy, development, human rights, identity, legal systems, poverty, religion, Tel: +44 (0)20 7637 2388 social change - confronting two-thirds of Fax: +44 (0)20 7436 3844 humankind. We welcome you to become part of the This makes SOAS synonymous with SOAS experience and invite you to learn intellectual excitement and achievement. more about us by exploring our website: It is a global academic base and a crucial resource for London. We live in a world of Web: www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/ shrinking borders and of economic and Web: www.soas.ac.uk/visitors/ technological simultaneity. Yet it is also a world in which difference and regionalism SOAS Library present themselves acutely. It is a world that Tel: +44 (0)20 7898 4163 SOAS is distinctively positioned to analyse, Fax: +44 (0)20 7898 4159 understand and explain. Web: www.soas.ac.uk/library/ 2 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON LETTER FROM THE CHAIR “when one reviews the range of activities hosted by the Centre, I believe that we were spoilt for choice” am delighted to report that was present for an engaging discussion at training sessions for Nepalese youth lead- the 2010-2011 academic the screening of her film ‘Life Goes On’. We ers. We also hosted a panel discussion on year has been filled South also launched the Nargis Dutt lecture with a contemporary debates relating to the radio in Asia-related activities. talk by director Anusha Rizvi on the business Nepal. We also held a fascinating discussion The Centre sponsored of making films to mark the 100 year an- on enforced disappearances and state ac- a largeI number of seminars, workshops, niversary of International Women’s Day. The countability in Nepal. We then concluded the film screenings, and workshops during the Centre sponsored three film screenings and year with a high-profile roundtable discussion year. For instance, we hosted a special the 4th London Himalayan film festival. In on constitution drafting, state restructuring roundtable seminar on the budgetary cuts addition, many colleagues have been instru- and the peace process in Nepal. to the BBC World Service and its impact on mental in lining up a number of speakers for the continuation of radio transmissions to literature-related events. For instance, we When one reviews the range of activities South Asia. The Centre sponsored a special hosted a book reading, by famed author Moh- hosted by the Centre, I believe that we were seminar series on the theme of leftist politics sin Hamid, of his book entitled Moth Smoke. spoilt for choice. In my view, though, the in South Asia. We also sponsored the 11th We also held a special interview with famed highlight of the year was the Centre’s Annual Jaina annual lecture and the 13th Jaina Kashmiri author Mirza Waheed, author of the Lecture, which was delivered by the eminent studies workshop on Jaina narratives. One bestseller The Collaborator. religious studies and Sanskritist Prof. Wendy of the key achievements of the Centre was Doniger. Professor Doniger was a leading the opening of a Centre on Pakistan and the I am a firm believer that the Centre should scholar at the University of Chicago whilst initiation of an MSc programme in Pakistan be used a platform to engage with relevant I was a PhD student there. She has been, studies at SOAS. policy-making bodies and political actors. To without a doubt, one of the most brilliant that effect, we have focused our efforts on and provocative minds I have ever met. This At the initiative of many colleagues, the Nepal. As we all know, this year has been a year we had the honour of hearing Professor Centre sponsored a number of fascinating period of constitutional instability in Nepal. Doniger speak on the representation of Dalits film-related events, including a Distinguished Given the world class level of Nepal expertise in Sanskrit texts. The title of her lecture was: Lecture by one of India’s leading filmmakers, at SOAS, we have been at the forefront of ‘Does the Mahabharata Approve of Ekalavya Shyam Benegal. We also held retrospective academic knowledge transfer on Nepal. For cutting off his Thumb? and Other Tales of film screenings and a lecture series devoted that reason, this year we hosted a luncheon Dalits in Ancient India’. to the famed Indian actress Sharmila Tagore. with prominent delegates from the Nepalese The film writer and director Sangeeta Datta parliament. We discussed the idea of holding Lawrence Saez 3 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON CENTRE MEMBERS CURRENT Dr Daud ALI Dr Heather ELGOOD Professor Mushtaq KHAN Senior Lecturer in Early Indian History Course Director, Postgraduate Professor of Economics Department of History Diploma in Asian Art Department of Economics [email protected] Department of the History of Art [email protected] and Archaeology Dr Richard AXELBY [email protected] Mr Abul Hussain KHONDOKER Senior Teaching Fellow Senior Lector in Bengali Department of Anthropology and Sociology Mr Alexander FISCHER Department of the Languages [email protected] Lecturer in Law and Cultures of South Asia School of Law [email protected] Dr Rochana BAJPAI [email protected] Senior Lecturer in the Politics of Asia/Africa Dr Prabha KOTISWARAN Department of Politics and Dr Peter FLÜGEL Lecturer in Law International Studies Lecturer in the Study of Religions School of Law [email protected] Department of the Study of Religions [email protected] [email protected] Sandhya BALASUBRAHMANYAM Dr Martin W LAU Teaching Fellow Dr Jonathan GOODHAND Reader in Law Department of Economics Reader in Development Practice School of Law [email protected] Department of Development Studies [email protected] [email protected] Dr Crispin BRANFOOT Dr Jens LERCHE Senior Lecturer in South Asian Art Dr Saurabh GUPTA Senior Lecturer in Development Studies and Archaeology Senior Teaching Fellow Department of Development Studies Department of the History of Art Department of Development Studies [email protected] and Archaeology [email protected] [email protected] Dr Mara MALAGODI Dr Jan-Peter HARTUNG Teaching Fellow Dr Michael CHARNEY Senior Lecturer in the Study of Islam Department of the Languages Reader in South East Asian Department of the Study of Religions and Cultures of South Asia and Imperial History [email protected] [email protected] Department of History [email protected] Dr Mulaika HIJJAS Dr Magnus MARSDEN British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology Dr Whitney COX Department of the Languages with reference to South and Central Asia Senior Lecturer in Sanskrit and Cultures of South East Asia Department of Anthropology and Sociology Department of the Languages [email protected] [email protected] and Cultures of South Asia [email protected] Professor Almut HINTZE Dr Matthew MCCARTNEY Zartoshty Professor of Zoroastrianism Lecturer in Economics with Dr Kate CROSBY Department of the Study of Religions reference to South Asia Seiyu Kiriyama Reader in Buddhist Studies [email protected] Department of Economics Department of the Study of Religions [email protected] [email protected] Dr Stephen P HUGHES Lecturer in Social Anthropology Professor Werner F MENSKI Professor Philippe CULLET Department