Conferences
Architectures of Transition: Frameworks and Practices in South Asia
New Delhi, India
December 14-16, 2023
The State of Architecture in South Asia project hosted a conference in New Delhi, titled Architectures of Transition – Frameworks and Practices in South Asia. The conference was coordinated by the Mittal Institute, the Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD), the Architecture Foundation, India, the South Asia GSD Student Group, and supported by Amardeep Design, Prakriti Foundation, and JSW.
The intent of the conference was to create a forum that helps architects reflect upon the breadth of work undertaken in the South Asia region collectively. The conference put theoreticians, academics, and practitioners in dialogue with each other – bridging the schism that exists between the academy and practice. This hoped to lead to some productive insights on both ends of the spectrum to help better inform the question: What is the ‘architecture’ of practice, that is relevant and effective for the South Asia region, that continues to be characterized by acute transitions?
Read this interview with Rahul Mehrotra, John T. Dunlop Professor in Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, in which he discusses the conference and his forthcoming book based on the Emergent Practices in South Asia project.
Watch the recordings of the conference here.
Workshop: Adapting to Climate Change in South Asia and West Africa
Cambridge, USA
November 13-15, 2023
The negative effects of climate change, including excessive heat, flash flooding, sea level rise, and increasingly severe droughts, already impact South Asia and West Africa, and are projected to increase in severity and geographic range. To adapt to these threats, robust policies based on the best scientific evidence are urgently needed to protect the health, livelihoods, and environments of the people in these regions. Communities across the global south share common challenges and can learn from each other.
This workshop built on research being conducted by the faculty research clusters on climate adaptation in West Africa and South Asia, through funding from the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University, to discuss the shared threats that climate change poses in their respective geographies.
Read a round-up of the conference here.
Read more about the Mittal Institute’s Climate Change Initiative.
South Asia in Translation: Geography, Memory, and Textuality
New Delhi, India
October 5-6, 2023
This conference aimed to study South Asia through the themes of translation, geography, and memory and place translation within the framework of the geographical settings in which knowledge and power were transacted. The conference unraveled the intertwined narratives of land, conquest, memory, and translation as found in the textual traditions of the subcontinent. It also contributed to an understanding of translation as a key tool in studying the evolving geographies and ecologies of South Asia.
Read a round-up of the conference here.
Mittal Institute Climate Change Workshop
New Delhi, India
March 30-31, 2023
Leading experts, policymakers, Harvard faculty and practitioners drawn from a variety of disciplines and from across the public and private sectors, including from civil society organizations, convened in New Delhi on March 30-31, 2023, for the Mittal Institute’s inaugural workshop on climate change.
This workshop comes as the Mittal Institute embarks on a major Climate Change Platform Initiative focused on South Asia, hosted at our New Delhi office. The platform encompasses research projects and training programs, as well as exchange fellowships for senior and junior scientists and policy makers. The workshop’s intention was to identify key challenges in climate mitigation and adaptation, and to seek inputs on research and academic priorities for this collaborative platform, as well as the South Asia region in the coming years.
The workshop included keynotes and panels on the evening of March 30, and a series of thematic discussions setting collective research and policy priorities on March 31. Discussions focused on the impact of and adaptations to extreme heat and rainfall, as well as on the technological and policy interventions required to facilitate an energy transition.
Read a round-up of the conference here.
Read more about the Mittal Institute’s most-recent Climate Change grant. And learn more about the Climate Change Solutions Fund award.
Read an interview with Prof. Tarun Khanna about the Mittal Institute’s Climate Change Initiative and Workshop.
Bangladesh at 50: Looking Back, Looking Forward
March 3–4, 2021
Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971. To mark 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence, the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard University is holding virtual conference on March 3 and 4, 2021. The conference will highlight the arc of Bangladesh’s history from the Language Movement through the Liberation War to the present – and the future. Panelists will discuss a wide range of topics, including the remarkable economic and human development of independent Bangladesh and the important role of civil society in its development. This arc will be traced and analyzed through a set of panel presentations by leading Bangladeshi scholars and activists moderated by international scholars who have worked on and in Bangladesh.
Nepal Mandala Symposium
Harvard University and College of the Holy Cross
December 7–9, 2019
The Kathmandu valley, which was designated as “nepāla mandala” in historical records and constituted “Nepal” until 1769, has been a highly creative center in the imagined periphery that was part of the Indic cultural region since 400 CE. The late Malla period (1482—1769 CE), followed by the Shah period (1769—2008 CE), witnessed vibrant cultural developments that indicated constant conversations with political and cultural centers in the neighboring regions. Yet, Nepal is rarely centrally situated in the discussion of early modern history or connected “global” history. Buried under the perpetuating image of insularity, Nepal seems doubly jeopardized to remain in the periphery or in-between and historically backward. The Nepal Mandala Symposium explored the place of Nepal in the interconnected history of Asia, especially from the fifteenth century onwards.
The Nepal Mandala Symposium coincided with an NEH-sponsored exhibition on Nepalese Buddhist art, “Dharma and Punya: Buddhist Ritual Art of Nepal,” which brought together many lesser-known objects of the Malla period and the Shah period. It provided an opportunity to examine the questions of modernity and globality in the study of Nepal’s art and culture. The call to explore more trans-regional connections must be pursued along with deeper historical inquiries into the unique cultural matrix of the Kathmandu valley. To this end, the symposium brought together scholars of religion, anthropology, and art history whose work examines critically various aspects of Nepal’s culture and history.
Visit the main Nepal Mandala Symposium website for more information or read this write-up of the symposium.
Museums & the City Workshop
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) Museum
September 24–26, 2019
A city is a sacred landscape in which we live, learn and communicate with others. It is woven into the fabric of day to day life, manifest in languages, performances, traditions and other tangible representations of our existence. While multiple art forms are the reflection of creative human minds and can manifest anywhere, the provision of different high-quality cultural facilities provide crucial spaces and places where we connect with our heritage and also experience the excitement of the contemporary art traditions. Such experiences motivate us to become part of the conversation by exploring similarities and differences inherent in the city’s fabric. The city emerges as a cosmopolitan interface, where it pays attention to local needs but connects well with global thinking. A museum is a cultural, as well as a social space, it is a meeting place for culture and communities to engage in dialogue and exchange of ideas. It plays a direct role in preserving and enriching the community in which it is sustained. The museum is seen as an agent of change and development. Through this workshop, we will explore how museums could potentially create an expanded culture of civic life that represents and nurtures the diverse and plural sensibilities of those with whom they share space.
Bangladesh Rising
Harvard University
September 16, 2019
Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with the third fastest GDP growth rate. In our upcoming Bangladesh Rising Conference, experts from Harvard and peer institutions, as well as governing bodies and organizations across Bangladesh, will discuss the nation’s economy, history, art and heritage, entrepreneurship, public health, and its actions to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Keynote speaker Kaushik Basu, former Chief Economist of the World Bank, will lead a panel on the Bangladesh economy and the nation’s economic resurgence through foreign investment.
Annual India Symposium: Science & Society
New Delhi, India
April 4, 2019
Science and technology play a central role in societal development. Applying cutting-edge scientific advancements to meet real-world needs requires a knowledge of the latest technology, domain expertise, and the contextual intelligence needed to operate in emerging markets. Academia can play a vital role in catalyzing this intersection of industry, scientific rigor, and societal needs. The symposium, entitled Science & Society, brought together academics, government representatives, and industry leaders to illustrate the possibilities for scientific advancement.
American Council for Southern Asian Art Symposium XVIII
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston & Harvard University
Thursday, October 12 – Sunday, October 15, 2017
ACSAA symposia occur in alternating years, and serve as opportunities to meet colleagues, reconnect with mentors and graduate school cohorts, and share one’s current research with the field. From senior scholars to graduate students, ACSAA symposia are one of the primary ways ACSAA members gather and support one another, share ideas with a group of like-minded colleagues, and participate in the ACSAA community.
Inaugural Liberal Arts Education Workshop
The Ismaili Centre in Dubai, Dubai, UAE
Saturday, August 19 – Sunday, August 20, 2017
The Harvard South Asia Institute (SAI) Liberal Arts Education Workshop is a forum for vice chancellors, directors, principals, and deans from universities across South Asia, the Middle East, and neighboring regions to convene on an annual basis for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the exchange of ideas. Harvard University faculty will be leading the discussion on a range of topics, with the aim of launching a consortium of stakeholders committed to a robust and vibrant future of liberal arts education.
Mumbai: Social Research & Urban Projections
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Featuring new and largely unpublished work, this one-day conference sets up a dialogue between designers and social scientists. By connecting fine-grained micro studies with broader imaginations for the metropolitan region, we intend to open up new scalar possibilities for Mumbai.
DeCoding Asian Urbanism
Harvard University
Friday, October 28, 2016 – Saturday, October 29, 2016
The symposium on DeCoding Asian Urbanism explores the current discourse and creation of innovative architecture and urban interventions that are effectively transforming the spatial and operational landscape of the complex Asian city. The focus is to highlight efforts that strategically embrace the rapid growth and the cultural and physical complexity of the built environment in Asia. The symposium builds on an exhibition at the A+D Architecture +Design Museum>Los Angeles, curated by Kenneth Frampton, Ken Yeang and Farooq Ameen.
Cosponsored with the Bengal Foundation and the A+D Museum, Los Angeles
South Asia Regionalism: Workshops on Shared Challenges and the Way Forward, 2014
Harvard University
April 24 & 25, 2014
This conference will bring together scholars and practitioners to highlight SAI’s ongoing research projects in the form of workshops: Urban Water Challenges, Mobile Technology, Urbanism in South Asia, Disaster Relief & Mental Health, Religion and Secularism, and The Way Forward for the Informal Economy.
Contemporary South Asian City Conference, 2014
Karachi, Pakistan
January 10-12, 2014
This conference will bring together a multidisciplinary group of scholars and practitioners to explore new frontiers in research on the contemporary South Asian city. South Asia includes some of the largest and fastest-‐growing urban agglomerations in the world today, all of which are growing increasingly interconnected with the larger regional and global economy. Equally relevant is the experience of small and medium-sized cities in each country, and the economic, social and spatial possibilities they encompass.
Gender Justice, Criminal Law, and Curricular Reforms Conference, 2013
India International Centre, New Delhi, India
July 12-13, 2013
This conference will be the first step in convening a group of stakeholders from the public and private sectors, the academy, service providers and NGOs. The meeting will provide an opportunity for information exchange and discussion across a range of issues – legislative, educational, policy and service oriented – relevant to sexual assault and gender violence in India and, more generally, South Asia.
Future of Afghanistan, 2013
Harvard University
April 5, 2013
The Future of Afghanistan Conference, co-sponsored by Harvard Kennedy School‘s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs‘ India & South Asia Program and the Future of Diplomacy Project, and the Harvard South Asia Institute, is a daylong conference that seeks to answer important questions about the current state of affairs in Afghanistan and the prospects for regional peace and stability in a post-2014 world.
Higher Education in South Asia, 2012
India Habitat Centre, Delhi, India
January 23, 2012
Education is increasingly becoming the foundation for individual prosperity and social mobility. Investments made in higher education in South Asia have contributed significantly to economic development, social progress, and political democracy. However, the higher education sector is under significant strain to equip its students with the needed knowledge and technical skills to cater to the demands of the region’s economy. With a focus on gathering multiple perspectives, SAI assembled leaders from the academic, government, and private spheres to discuss innovative approaches being adapted to enhance quality and increase access to higher education across the region.
Future of South Asia, 2011
Harvard University
April 8, 2011
This conference presented speakers on a wide spectrum of issues, including energy technology and innovation, water security, architecture, the aging population of South Asia, and the future of Pakistan.