Transforming South Asia’s Healthcare Systems: Challenges and Solutions

Dates: March 12-14, 2025 Location: Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies

Come collaborate with your peers, scholars, and development professionals at a seminar that evaluates the challenges facing diverse healthcare systems throughout the South Asian region. This seminar will include a collaborative multidisciplinary assessment of systemic change in health delivery for sustainable, equitable access for everyone.

The Keynote Address will be presented by Dr. Ravi Iyer, Professor of Social Policy and Public Health, who will speak on the increasing demand for public health systems in post-global pandemic worlds and climate change-driven health emergencies. There will also be several panels—one dedicated to responsible technological advancement in the post-COVID world—that include messaging on the incorporation of telehealth resources, increased availability of mental health professionals and treatments, and the shifting face of health-related employment in disadvantaged rural and peri-urban communities.

Cross-disciplinary researchers will present findings and field case studies conducted throughout India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, with opportunities for hands-on workshops and facilitated group discussions from which policy recommendations may emerge blending hypothesized research realities and practical application.

All panels and workshops will be recorded for registered attendees to access at their convenience after the seminar has ended. The Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies would like to foster an inclusive, sustainable approach through findings, which is why this seminar is transformative.

International Conference on Innovative Climate Adaptation: Connecting Science to Policy

February 20-22, 2025
Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies, Prayagraj, India

With climate disruptions plaguing South Asia and rapidly accelerating in recent years, this international conference will convene leading scientists, policymakers, and development practitioners within the region for a conference that promises to address an ongoing disconnect between climate science and policy.

For three full days, experts and scholars will present on empirical studies of climate adaptation that align with current regional needs. From innovative climate-resilient agriculture and integrated water resource management for sustainable development and planning of infrastructure to compounded geographically discussed solutions to policy-based action, this conference will bring together like-minded professionals to one venue with one goal in mind: assisting vulnerable communities in adapting to the increasingly unpredictable realities of climate change.

Confirmed keynote speakers include Dr. Anjali R. Kapoor, Professor of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development here in the United States, who will present on the best practices surrounding community-driven adaptation efforts, while Dr. Lars Müller, an international expert on adaptive climate processes, will allow attendees insight into how scientifically driven assessments of climate change repercussions can be not only avoided but also the realization behind effective climate adaptation in a nation’s existence.

Additional opportunities include interdisciplinary panels focused on the urban heat island effect for burgeoning megacities and anticipatory flooding efforts for low-lying coastal communities, as well as policy alignment for adaptation efforts for regional endeavors synonymous with the SDGs. The final day will include a policy roundtable where recommendations relevant to the context will be curated for future regional climate action plans.

The conference will generate a platform for teams between research and the implementing community to create interdisciplinary networks for engaging climate adaptation activities beyond the scope of the conference.

Registration is open until February 10, 2025. Early registration is encouraged as space is limited.

Dates: March 18—20, 2025
Venue: Sundar Singh Institute Auditorium, Prayagraj, India

The 2025 Annual Conference on South Asian Health Policy and Innovation invites scholars in public health, policymaking, and medical research/innovation to review the state of health care in South Asia. This interdisciplinary conference presents research about new innovations to combat urban health disparities, potentials for telehealth applications that can transform the state of care, and developments in community health pursuits in rural and peri-urban populations.

Keynote presentations, a policy roundtable, and case studies that inform best practices emerging in the field will occur over three days. For example, keynote speaker Dr. Ravi Iyer will present “The Future of Health Access: Leveraging Technology for Equity and Scale,” which explores how digital access to delivery systems is reforming the approach of primary care for low-resource populations.

Furthermore, attendees will gain valuable contacts for networking as many scholars bridge sectors, and public health policymakers often align with the medical community and civil society for common goals among populations.

Registration: Early registration strongly encouraged due to limited space. Registration due March 1, 2025.

Upcoming Academic Workshop: Cross-Cultural Dialogue and Regional Stability

Dates: February 25–26, 2025
Location: Online (Virtual Platform)

The Institute will host a two-day virtual workshop on Cross-Cultural Communication and Regional Stability in South Asia. This conference invites scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to critically analyze the potential of intercultural awareness in peace processes and successful regional collaboration.

Keynote speakers are to be announced; however, confirmed presenters include Dr. Min-seo Kim (Seoul Center for Policy Studies) and Dr. David A. Chatterjee (Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies) who will discuss cultural diplomacy, interreligious pluralism, educational exchanges, etc., as potential catalysts to diffuse regional tensions.

Furthermore, breakout rooms and roundtable discussions will allow all participants the opportunity to present intervention strategies on inter-ethnic and interreligious tolerance, awareness, and empathy efforts in their regions—especially those plagued by conflict.

This virtual workshop aims to establish an academic and practical community of like-minded scholars and experts who champion peace through intercultural efforts in South Asia.

Registration is open until February 15, 2025.

Upcoming Event Announcement: South Asia Economic Equity Conference

Dates: February 8–10, 2025
Venue: Sundar Singh Institute Conference Hall, Ewing Christian College, Prayagraj
Organized in partnership with: Asia Development Research Forum

The South Asia Economic Equity Conference, February 8-10, 2025, is a multidisciplinary forum to examine the persistent challenges of economic equity in the broader South Asia region. Academics, practitioners, and policymakers will meet to assess realistic possibilities for inclusive growth, poverty elimination, and equity in resources and opportunities. Expected programming includes a keynote address by Dr. Priya Deshmukh exploring the nexus between economic access and digital equity in developing nations. Dr. Ahmed Panjabi will facilitate a debate surrounding the effectiveness of microfinancing in poverty elimination—realized results vs. the inability to actualize—across varying geopolitical arenas. Qualitative peer-reviewed working papers will evaluate inequitable income disparity between urban/rural settings, gendered treatment to employment, and net feedback of geopolitical policymaking within the region.

Collaborative group workshops and policy labs will foster brainstorming efforts for institutional change proposals and intrastate collaboration. Ultimately, this conference aspires to create a multidisciplinary, cross-funding conversation to apply theoretical research to established practices for equitable policymaking for economic access in the broader South Asia region.

Registration Deadline: January 15, 2025
Early registration is recommended due to limited space.

Symposium on Climate Resilience and Sustainable Development

Date: January 12–14, 2025
Location: Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies, Prayagraj

The Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies will sponsor an International Conference on Climate Resilience and Sustainable Development in a South Asian Context, January 12-14, 2025. This conference brings together the region’s leading academics, policymakers, environmental scientists, and practitioners to evaluate integrative solutions at the intersection of betterment and climate resilience for the South Asian region.

Among the keynote speakers are Dr. Anjali Kapoor, a specialist in environmental equity and environmental policy, with years of practical experience and governance in the public policy sector; and Dr. Lars Müller of the Berlin Institute of Environmental Policy, whose publications on climate justice have influenced United Nations regulatory approaches to change. Along with keynotes are workshops and empirical case study discussions of resilience efforts that are already flourishing, including a high-level roundtable on transboundary water governance—one of the greatest challenges in the South Asian region with climate resultant stressors.

Finally, the conference will cultivate an interdisciplinary atmosphere for research presentation, fieldwork sharing, and reliable policy solutions that not only feed into the growing literature surrounding resilience efforts but also take theoretical approaches and collaborate for action.

Registration will remain open until December 20, 2024. Early registration is strongly encouraged due to limited capacity.