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The Dynamics of Social Justice in South Asia

Date: April 10–12, 2025

The upcoming international conference “The Dynamics of Social Justice in South Asia” will critically examine the evolving landscape of justice in one of the world’s most complex and diverse regions. Over three days, scholars, policy-makers, activists, and students will gather to explore how historical legacies—such as colonial governance, caste hierarchies, and gendered power structures—continue to shape the lived experiences of marginalized populations.

Keynote lectures will be delivered by Dr. Priya Deshmukh, an internationally respected scholar in gender and postcolonial studies, and Professor Ibrahim Farooq, a leading expert on legal pluralism and institutional reform in South Asia. Their insights will frame the conference’s broader inquiry into how systemic injustice intersects with contemporary movements for human rights, equity, and democratic participation.

Thematic sessions will address a range of pressing issues, including gender justice and intersectionality, the rights of indigenous and tribal communities, and the transformative potential of civil society organizations. Special attention will be given to the dynamics of state power, religious identity, and economic restructuring in shaping access to justice.

Participants will have access to all keynote addresses and panel discussions in recorded format, along with downloadable scholarly materials and policy briefs. Through these resources, the conference aims not only to foster interdisciplinary dialogue, but also to generate actionable knowledge that will support local and regional efforts toward sustainable and inclusive social transformation.

Launch of the ‘South Asia Economic Monitor’ Report

February 10, 2024

Launch of the South Asia Economic Monitor Report

Quarterly South Asia Economic Monitor and the World Bank’s South Asia Development Update. This was an article that looked at the prior fiscal year in South Asia and took a data-driven, all-encompassing approach. It took the information from subsequent year’s changes and predictions, policy changes and shifts that occurred from April to March in all disciplines to assess macro and microeconomic efforts that had been undertaken in the region in the prior year.

It assessed the changes in fiscal and monetary policy of regional governments and took projectable, assessable policy changes into consideration for future actions to better develop the understanding of the situation based on insights for researchers, policymakers, and development practitioners. The intention of the assessment was to look back on such actions and give a quasi-temporary assessment for better projection of how to manage the region moving forward.

Inauguration of the Sundar Singh Lecture Series

January 5, 2024

Inauguration of the Sundar Singh Lecture Series

The Sundar Singh Institute is proud to announce the establishment of the Sundar Singh Lecture Series in honor of the enduring legacy of Sadhu Sundar Singh, who was one of the most prominent figures of early twentieth-century South Asian Christianity, as well as his presence of intellectual thought and spiritual leadership. The Sundar Singh Lecture Series seeks to create such a forum for critical scholastic engagement and interdisciplinary exploration by bringing in guest lecturers from esteemed scholars and seasoned practitioners in the field relative to increasingly complicated issues important to the South Asian region.

For further information and future updates, please check our website or contact the Institute’s communications office.

South Asia Policy Fellowship 2026

The South Asia Policy Fellowship is a prestigious 12-month academic programme for early career researchers and practitioners dedicated to producing impactful, policy-relevant research in the South Asian region. The Fellowship is administratively located at the Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies, and is a programmatic initiative that provides exposure to, and interaction with, an intellectually lively and interdisciplinary research community focused on the four pillars of democratic governance; sustainable, inclusive economic growth and development; regional security; and climate change adaptation.

Participants will be integrated into the academic and policy life of the Institute, which will include participation in independent and directed research agendas aligned with the Institute’s goals. Participants will participate in high-level policy dialogues, academic roundtables, and strategic briefings. Participants will co-write policy briefs and academic articles that the Institute may publish as part of its sanctioned research output.

Participant, including research, responsibilities are that participants have privileged access to the Institute’s vast sovereign and rights-based scholarly resources, in person and online, and receive close academic mentoring from world-leading researchers in South Asian studies, public policy, ethics, and international affairs. The Fellowship seeks to select individuals who illustrate both academic excellence and a principled commitment to public service, critical ethical reflection, and evidence-based policymaking.

Eligibility and Terms

Application Deadline: 15 March 2026

Eligibility: Applicants must hold a completed Master’s degree or terminal qualification in a relevant discipline. Will consider strong applicants with relevant professional or lived experience in lieu of formal academic qualifications. Prior experience working on South Asian policy research and development is strongly preferred.

Compensation: In addition to a monthly stipend, fellows receive full access to the Institute’s physical and digital research infrastructure and are given opportunities to participate in both international workshops and public events.

Location: Although research can be conducted flexibly, fellows are expected to engage regularly with the work of the Institute’s programmes and events.

Why Join the Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies?

Convergence of Research and Impact

Fellows join a vibrant cohort of global scholars and practitioners looking to advance research that connects with lived experiences of South Asia. The Institute seeks to build an ecosystem in which critical inquiry, innovation in policy, and ethical engagement meet.

Policy Relevant Research with Global Impact

Fellowship projects will be directed at influencing local policy and international conversations. Research outputs may engage institutional partners, civil society actors, and public agencies across South Asia and beyond.

Professional Development through Mentorship

Each Fellow will be paired with a senior academic mentor with whom they will receive sustained support and feedback for their intellectual work and professional development. This relational approach maintains alignment between the research a Fellow is conducting as well as the overall objectives of the Institute.

Location for Academic and Public Exchange

Fellows will publish peer-reviewed publications, some will write policy white papers for their regional constituencies while others will provide input to international consultations, not as a place for their research, but place for it to modify conversations among in the academy, policy, and civil society.

Whether someone is seeking to build a career at the intersection of scholarship and policy, or further an already distinguished professional existence, the South Asia Policy Fellowship is an opportunity to become something transformative.

Through the depth of engagement with the Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies, fellows will make measurable contributions toward the building the future of South Asia, whilst maintaining the rigour of academia and ethics in their work.

Governance in a Globalized World: South Asia’s Role

Date: December 5–7, 2025

This conference aims to explore South Asia’s early yet increasingly geopolitical position in shaping the global governance order. As an interdisciplinary gathering of the disciplines of political science, practitioners, policy-makers, and regional studies, proposed proceedings will benefit anyone eager to understand how South Asia is active in the face of supranational challenges, bringing about institutional changes at the global level.

For example, within the themed sessions, a governance reform panel led by Dr. Rajiv K. Menon and a cross-disciplinary workshop on cross-border policymaking led by Dr. Andrew Hyunwoo Kim will foster engagement in democratic backsliding, multilateral engagement, digital governance, and remapping norms based on developmental realities.

By the end, South Asia will not be positioned as a mere recipient of global governance dictates but rather as an active agent and champion of change for new pathways. The proceedings will be transcribed for virtual publication within an international academic and policy community for ongoing practical and scholarly use.