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| Department of Canadian Studies |
BACKGROUND
The history of the development of Canadian Studies in India is very recent. University Grants Commission (UGC) made the first serious attempt in 1980. Professor J. Birje-Patil, Head, Department of English at the M.S. University of Baroda along with Professor Iqbal Narain, Vice-Chancellor, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur and Professor Parthasarthy Gupta, Head, Department of History, Delhi University visited Canada on the invitation of UGC and Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, Canada to find out ways and means of promoting Canadian Studies in India. The committee proposed that a few universities might be identified by UGC to develop Canadian Studies in India in December 1982.
On the advice of the Indian Advisory Council of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, the University Grants Commission constituted a Consultative Group on the development of Canadian Studies in India in 1991. This group in consultation with an Expert Committee on Canadian Studies divided the Indian universities in three categories, based on:
(a) existing level of teaching,
(b) the number of faculty members involved,
(c) number of workshops/seminars/conferences held in the past and
(d) Interdisciplinary in Canadian Studies.
The M.S. University of Baroda was selected under Category I (in the subjects of English, Political Science, Economics and History) to develop interdisciplinary approach in October 1991. The University authorities recognizing the initiative taken up by the Department of English and the University Grants Commission soon allotted a set of rooms and offered other facilities to run this programme.
However, the appointment of the Professor of Canadian Studies as recommended by the UGC could not be made because the post was not give concurrence by the State Government. The Centre is therefore run by a Director who is a full time Professor. Prof. O.P.Juneja (English) was the Director of the Centre from 1991-2003 and currently Prof. Arti Nanavati (Economics) is the Director of the Centre.
Following the lead given by the UGC, the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute has been giving annual grants to the Centre since 1991-92 under its Canadian Studies Development Programme. Government of Canada and Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute have also been giving special grants to develop the Centre's library, which now has a collection of about 4000 books and subscription to about 25 journals. International Council for Canadian Studies has helped the Centre in inviting a few Canadian personalities to teach at the two four-week long interdisciplinary international workshops held in 1992 and 1994.The Centre has also been receiving grants from the Indian Association for Canadian Studies for hosting seminars/conferences/Workshops and for publications.
TEACHING AND RESEARCH
Faculty of Arts
Department of Economics
The Department is mainly interested in conducting research on Indo-Canadian issues. Dr. Maya Shah and Dr. Arti Nanavati have visited Canada on Shastri Fellowships.
They have edited Indo-Canadian Business Relations containing thirteen essays by scholars and business practitioners from India, Canada and the U.S.A. discussing the main themes of the business relationship between Canada and India. The Department has also hosted a number of lectures related to Indo-Canadian topics. A book titled, India-Canada Bilateral Relationship in a Globalized World edited by Prof. Arti Nanavati and A.S.Rao is published by Creative Books, New Delhi 2003. Prof. Arti Nanavati directed a Seminar on, Immigration to Canada: Policies, Mainstreaming Gender Perspective and Implications, jointly organized by the Centre in collaboration with Womens Studies Research Centre of the University in January, 2003.
Department of English
Courses in Canadian Literature, introduced at M.A. and M.Phil levels in 1984 are operating successfully. More than a hundred students have since taken M.A./M.Phil /Ph.d. degrees with specialization in Canadian Literature. The Shakespeare Society has staged a few Canadian plays and the Literary Society has organized a few poetry/creative writing-reading sessions in the Department.
Department of French
The Department has received a few visitors from Quebec, who gave orientation lectures on Quebec literature and culture. The Department has also prescribed a few French-Canadian texts in its undergraduate courses.
Department of History
The Department has started teaching courses in Canadian History at M.A., and M.Phil levels. Dr. Gita Bajpai, Head of the Department and Dr. Rajkumar Hans have visited Canada on Shastri Fellowships. The Department has hosted many historians of repute during past few years and has organized a few lectures on Indo-Canadian historical issues.
Department of Political Science
The department offers courses related to Canada in its M.Phil programme. The department also offers part course on Canadian politics at the undergraduate level. Professor Thomas Pantham has visited Canada on Shastri Fellowship.
Faculty of Commerce
The Members of the Department of Business Economics, Management, Co-operation, Banking etc. participate in the activities of the Centre. Dr. A. Subba Rao and Prof. D.S.Pathak edited a book titled, Women in Development: Indo-Canadian Perspectives (1996), Creative Books, New Delhi. Dr. Samir Joshi, Reader in the Department, worked for his Ph.D. thesis on "Regional Economics in Canada". He is also a recipient of Shastri Fellowship.
Faculty of Fine Arts
Under the Artist-Residence programme funded by SICI many Canadian artists have visited the Department of Graphic Arts, Painting and Art History in this Faculty and have established contacts with the Faculty Members. The Faculty encourages Canadian artists to participate in their Exchange Programme, in which a few European and American Universities participate regularly.
Faculty of Homer Science
The Womens Studies Research Centre (WSRC) collaborated with the Centre for Canadian Studies, in organizing a seminar on, Immigration to Canada: Polices, Mainstreaming Gender Perspectives and Implication, in January 2003. Prof. Parul Dave, Director of WSRC and Prof. Dept. of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS), Prof. Prerana Mohite, Head, HDFS, Rajlaxmi Shriram, HDFS, are recipients of Shastri Institute Fellowships.
PUBLICATIONS
Canadian Studies: Proceedings of Canadian Studies Seminar, Ed. O.P. Juneja, Baroda: M.S. University Press, 1985.
Ambivalence: Studies in Canadian Literature Ed. O.P. Juneja and C. Mohan, New Delhi: Allied Publishers, 1990.
Cultural Pluralism and the Notion of Dissent (Abstracts of Papers), Ed. O.P. Juneja 1989.
Literature and French Canadian Identity (Abstracts of Papers) Ed. O.P. Juneja 1990.
Indian Journal of Canadian Studies: Colony, Nation, Globalization. Vol. 1992.
Indian Journal of Canadian Studies: Immigration and Cultures. Vol.2, 1993.
The Canadian Novel: A Search for Identity M.F. Salat, New Delhi. B.R. Publications, 1993.
Changing Global Scenario: Canada and India (Abstracts of Papers) Ed. O.P. Juneja, 1994.
Indo-Canadian Business Relations Eds. Maya Shah and Arti Nanavati, M.S. University Press, 1995.
Changing Role of Women in Economic Development: Indo-Canadian Perspectives, Ed. A. Subbarao. New Delhi, Creative Publications, 1996.
India in Canadian Literature, Jitesh Parikh and Vimal Dhawan, Creative Books, New Delhi, 1999.
India- Canada Bilateral Relationship in a Globalized World, ed. Arti Nanavati and A.S.Rao, Creative Books, New Delhi, 2003.
CANADIAN LIBRARY
The Centre houses a library of about 4000 Canadian titles gifted by the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, the Canadian Organization for Development through Education, Coach House Press, the University of British Columbia and some individuals. Professor Abe Rostein, Department of Economics, University of Toronto has send 1100 titles in social sciences to us through the Canadian High Commission in Delhi.
Besides the back numbers of Canadian Literature, Studies in Canadian Literature, Essays on Canadian Writing, and Canadian Poetry, the library gets the following journals regularly: Canadian Literature, Ariel, Canadian Drama, Canadian Forum, Books in Canada, Canadian Journal of Comparative Literature, Canadian Journal of Psychology, Studies Canadiannes, Prairie Forum, Quebec Studies, The Toronto Review of Contemporary Writing Abroad, Essays in Canadian Writing, Queens Quarterly, West Coast Line, Canadian Theatre Review (CTR), Canadian Journal of Economics, Studies in Canadian Literature, Canadian Geographer, The Canadian Historical Review, Pacific Affairs, Mosaic, Open Letter, Contact, The Canadianist, and International Journal of Canadian Studies. This being an important library of its kind in the country it has attracted scholars working in the area of Canadian Literature from many universities including Delhi, SNDT Bombay, Bharatidasan, Hyderabad, Vikram, Jamia Milia, Roorkee, Bangalore, Gujarat, Saurashtra and South Gujarat Universities and Universities of Poona, Kashmir, Rajasthan, Kerala, Punjab, Bhavnagar, Pondicherry, Utkal Calicut, Mysore, Kakatiya, Nagpur, Jaipur, Madras and Goa.
FACULTY VISITS TO CANADA
Professor J. Birje Patil, Head, Department of English visited Canada in 1980.
Dr. O.P. Juneja, Reader in English, visited Canada on a Post Doctoral Fellowship in 1982-83. Besides his own research on the novels of Margaret Laurence, he audited courses in Canadian Literature at Concordia University and lectured on Commonwealth Literature at the Universities of Toronto, Winnipeg, Concordia and Guelph.
Dr. Ravindra Dholakia, Reader in Economics, visited Canada on Post Doctoral Fellowship in 1984.
Dr. M.F. Salat, Reader in English, visited Canada in 1985-86 for collecting research material for his Ph.D. thesis on Canadian Literature. He also audited courses in Canadian Literature at York University, Toronto.
SICI FACULTY RESEARCH / ENRICHMENT FELLOWSHIPS
Name Department Fellowship Year
Arti Nanavati Economics Faculty Research 1988-89
Maya Shah Economics Faculty Research 1990-91
Vimal Dhawan English /Delhi Doctoral Fellow 1990-91
Sudha P. Pandya English Faculty Research 1990-91
Name Department Fellowship Year
M.F. Salat English Faculty Research 1991-92
Dr. Gita Bajpai History Faculty Enrichment 1992-93
Dr. O.P. Juneja English Faculty Enrichment 1992-93
Asha Verma English/ Ahm. Doctoral Fellow 1993
Rani Dharker English Faculty Research 1993-94
Thomas Pantham Political Science Faculty Research 1993-94.
Uday Shelat Architecture Faculty Research 1994-95
Raj Kumar Hans History Faculty Research 1994-95.
Sudha P. Pandya English Faculty enrichment 1994-95
Manisha Shelat Journalism Faculty Research 1995-96
P.A. Abraham English Faculty Enrichment 1995-96
U.M. Nanavati English Faculty Enrichment 1995-96
Bharati Parikh English Faculty Enrichment 1997-98
Arti Nanavati Economics Faculty Research 1998-99
Parul Dave WSRC Gender and Development 2000-01
Prerana Mohite H.D.F.S. Faculty Research 2001-02.
Zakia Firdaus English Doctoral Fellow 2003
Forthcoming Activities
Workshop for Canadian Interns 17-19 January 2004. sponsored by Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, New Delhi.
Seminar on, Market Forces and Cultural Changes, 24-26 Feb. 2004. sponsored by Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, New Delhi.
The Centre under Area Studies Programme proposes to undertake the publication of the proceedings of January 2003 Seminar and to research project.
For further details contact, Director of the Centre, Prof. Arti Nanavati, Email: aunanavati@icenet.net
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