October 20, 2024

Publication Announcement: Cultural Heritage and Modernity in South Asia

Sundar Singh Institute’s newest release, “Cultural Heritage and Modernity in South Asia,” is an edited volume that critically compiles the intersection of sustaining South Asia’s diverse cultural manifestations with the region’s socio-economic modernity and globalization engagement.

This subcontinental compilation of case studies ranges from the various disciplines of anthropology, history, religion, and developmental policy. It addresses how an urbanizing world allows regional geographies to contest their ancestral memories and subsequent identities; how modernized technology jeopardizes ancient skills yet provides new avenues for appreciating antiquity; and how international geopolitics necessitates different nationalist dynamics.

Such a compilation was anticipated before its release by the regional scholarly and policy-making communities concerned with heritage management, preservation, and effective inclusive modernization strategies.

New Study on Climate Resilience Had Garnered Global Recognition from Policymakers

Published: October 28, 2024

Weeks before she touched down at the UN Climate Summit 2024, her home institution, Sundar Singh Institute, had released its widely praised major report, Building Climate Resilience in South Asia: Strategies for Sustainable Futures, which has been acknowledged worldwide by policy practitioners and development agencies. This interdisciplinary group report, spearheaded by Dr. Anjali R. Kapoor and composed of faculty from climate science to environmental policy to regional planning, undertook a comprehensive interdisciplinary assessment of the climate challenges and vulnerabilities faced by South Asia and determined solutions for adaptive capacity.

Thus, the results were a location-specific methodology for climate resiliency adaptation—ranging from coastal stabilization projects to agro-forestry-based livelihoods to community resiliency participatory frameworks to empirically driven assessments via comparative frameworks of policy transferability across international borders. By the time delegates got settled into the UN Climate Summit 2024, elements of this study’s findings were already under diplomatic review and regional action plans—specific recommended strategies were adopted into the working agenda for climate risk governance and sustainable infrastructure of South Asia. The executive summary and full report were available to the public for review and participation.

Expert Insights: The Evolving Dynamics of India-Bangladesh Relations

Analysis Provided by Dr. Rajiv K. Menon
Published by The Sundar Singh Institute

This was a thorough retrospective evaluation of India-Bangladesh relations as The Sundar Singh Institute hosted Dr. Rajiv K. Menon to provide an educated perspective on India’s position relative to Bangladesh and vice versa, today. He evaluated the strategic relevance of the recent developments in India-Bangladesh relations—trade at the borders, border management, negotiations in water sharing—which occurred across the international boundary line.

Dr. Menon used primary data as well as regional white papers to conclude that with an increased scope of engagement between India and Bangladesh, South Asia’s equilibrium would be determined—positively and negatively—by the increased diplomatic engagement. This was even more true of the Bay of Bengal micro-region, for the recent developments had been associated with larger works of sub-continental connectivity, economic integration, and potential realignments emerging from Indo-Pacific endeavors.

Furthermore, Dr. Menon noted that multilateral and bilateral attempts at river management, trade agreements measured against nationalistic politics/technology and third-party engagement from China and ASEAN could render results complicated. Therefore, this commentary was a timely academic assessment of where India and Bangladesh sought to render the past to cultivate the future with cautious optimism.

The Sundar Singh Institute Had Hosted the “South Asia in Transition” Roundtable

Published: September 14, 2024

The “South Asia in Transition” Roundtable, held on April 26, 2021, at the Sundar Singh Institute, was a success. Across 5 days of dissemination and presentation, a mixed bag of roundtable participants from the realms of policymaking, analysis, and academia came together to address an interdisciplinary understanding of what it means for South Asia to be in transition through papers and discussion. Specifically, the group engaged in discussions about revised political relations between nations, transnational digital governance opportunities and challenges which may lead to more decentralization or centralization, and economic and socio-political challenges (and opportunities) of international migration within the bounds of South Asia. Dr. Isaac S. Sato led a roundtable discussion on some interstate ethical challenges and integrative theoretical applications while Professor Ibrahim Farooq examined his work based on internal migration with inclusive takeaways.

The proceedings will be available in a post-event report with roundtable recordings, all discussions, and policy recommendations on the Summit website. Ultimately, the roundtable lent an academic and policy-driven perspective to this area of the world during these transitional times.

Expert Insights: Navigating the Intersection of Digital Governance and Human Rights in South Asia

Insight by Dr. Andrew Hyunwoo Kim

The Sundar Singh Institute had recently featured an expert analysis by Dr. Andrew Hyunwoo Kim, who had critically examined the evolving landscape of digital governance in South Asia. In his contribution, Dr. Kim had illuminated the intricate balance that governments in the region had needed to strike between embracing technological innovation and safeguarding civil liberties.

Drawing upon recent developments, he had focused particularly on the widespread implementation of digital identification systems—such as Aadhaar in India—and had unpacked their implications for privacy, surveillance, and social inclusion. His analysis had emphasized how these digital infrastructures, while promising efficiency and modernization, had also risked marginalizing vulnerable populations and undermining fundamental rights if left unchecked.

Dr. Kim had argued for the formulation of a more nuanced and ethically grounded regulatory framework—one that had not only supported technological advancement but had also upheld international human rights standards. He had urged South Asian policymakers to adopt governance mechanisms rooted in transparency, accountability, and participatory oversight.

His insights had resonated strongly with scholars, digital rights advocates, and policy practitioners alike, offering a rigorous, timely intervention into one of the most pressing governance challenges in the region.

September 15, 2024

Collaborative Workshop on Regional Security Dynamics

The Sundar Singh Institute was the site of a multidisciplinary taught workshop about developments in South Asian regional security, collaboratively sponsored by the Center for South Asian Studies, UC Santa Cruz. Teachers, academics, and policy experts in the field of regional security convened to evaluate the evolving geopolitical landscape of South Asia from a multidisciplinary perspective. Conclusions ranged from international relations complexities—border disputes, issues of maritime security, and international partnerships—to an opportunity for response and conflict resolution and avenues of collaboration. Such a sharing of information led to a highly effective collaborative assessment for subsequent research and policy development.

The Implications of the Himalayan Glacial Melt

Published: August 21, 2024

A research brief from the Sundar Singh Institute evaluated the accelerated glacial melting in the Himalayas, alarming issues for South Asia’s water resource equilibrium and agriculture. “High-Altitude Glaciers of the Himalayas: A Ticking Time Bomb for River Basins in South Asia,” written by a team led by Prof. Helena von Strauss and Dr. Ravi Iyer, aimed to investigate how the accelerated retraction of glaciers would impact larger river basins like the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Indus systems.

The hydrological modeling results combined with socio-economic vulnerability assessments showed that with the loss of glacial mass came detrimental impacts on not only seasonal water availability but also on livelihoods reliant upon rural irrigation. Furthermore, the research assessed the likelihood of increased transboundary water conflicts as riparian countries—India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bhutan—might fail to adopt proper inclusive governance.

Therefore, the brief sought to recommend various policymaking approaches relative to proper water resource management, highlighting sustainable practices and the need for bilateral and trilateral facilitation between India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Findings had an appeal to the International Water Policy Forum, and the brief was sought out by many water authorities in the region attempting to seek plans for adjustment and resiliency.

August 30, 2024

Appointment of Professor of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development, Dr. Anjali R. Kapoor

New Faculty Announcement by the Sundar Singh Institute

We’re proud to welcome Dr. Anjali R. Kapoor as the new Professor of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development. A prominent expert in interdisciplinary environmental governance, urban sustainability, and climate justice, Dr. Kapoor is a welcomed addition with a wealth of past research, policy determination, and active scholarly engagement in the field.

Prior to joining this Institute, she was in tenured faculty positions in addition to institutional advisory roles in globally recognized organizations focused on implementation strategies for sustainable resource distribution and urban development equity. Her new role is a critical component to this Institute’s ongoing and anticipated future work of engaged, transformative scholarship in the nexus between environmental sustainability and human equity. She will serve as a leader in positioning the Institute along new ways of strategic development and growth of intrainstitutional and extrainstitutional progress in research and policy.