People
Nirvikar Singh: New Chair for Sikh & Punjabi Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz
WILLIAM A. LADUSAW, Interim Dean of Humanities, UCSC
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Nirvikar Singh to the Sarbjit Singh Aurora Chair in Sikh and Punjabi Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz ("UCSC").
The chair - established through the Sikh Foundation by Hardit and Harbhajan Kaur Singh in memory of their son, Sarbjit Singh Aurora - supports research and teaching in Sikh and Punjabi studies from a multicultural and global perspective.
Nirvikar Singh brings both a rich heritage and strong research and teaching acumen to the position, and we are fortunate to have his expertise and experience as a longtime member of the faculty in Economics at UCSC.
His research and published articles in this area have included work on healthcare systems in Punjab, the Punjab economy, comparison of past conflicts in Punjab and Kashmir, Sikh literature as an agent of social change in the early 20th century, and analysis of the fundamental doctrines of Sikhism in historical context.
Nirvikar is also one of the leading scholars on India's political economy, and has researched and published extensively on topics such as federalism, governance, and macroeconomic policies.
As holder of the Sarbjit Singh Aurora Chair, Professor Nirvikar Singh will add to the scholarship of Sikh and Punjabi Studies in areas that are as yet under-represented, including economy and society. He will chart a new and much-needed direction in Sikh and Punjabi Studies, and bring Sikh Studies scholars together in a discussion of an enlarged perspective of Sikh and Punjabi Studies.
He will draw on his heritage and family links with global Sikh communities to build bridges beyond the university, and to fulfill the University of California's mission to serve the population of the state, including its vibrant and long-present Sikh-American community. He will also collaborate with Sikh Studies chairholders at UC Santa Barbara and UC Riverside to help provide access for UCSC students to the rich offerings in Sikh and Punjabi Studies at those campuses.
BIO
Dr. Nirvikar Singh, Professor of Economics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has served as Director of the Santa Cruz Center for International Economics, Co-Director of the Center for Global, International and Regional Studies, Director of the South Asian Studies Initiative, and Special Advisor to the Chancellor. He organized one of the first major US conferences on Indian economic reform. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and his B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the London School of Economics, where he was awarded the Allyn Young Prize, Gonner Prize and Ely Devons Prize. His current research topics include information technology and development, electronic commerce, business strategy, political economy, federalism, economic growth and the Indian economy. He has authored over 100 research papers and co-authored three books: Joint Ventures, International Investment and Technology Transfer; The Political Economy of Federalism in India; and Waiting to Connect: India IT Revolution Bypasses the Domestic Industry. He has also served as an advisor for several startups and knowledge services firms in Silicon Valley and in India.
Nirvikar is the granson of Bhai Mohan Singh Vaid (1881-1936), a distinguished Punjabi writer of early 20th Century.
December 8, 2010
Conversation about this article
1: Irvinder Singh Babra (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), December 08, 2010, 10:45 AM.
It would be helpful to know - How many students, both Sikh and non-Sikh, have benefited from these Sikh and Punjabi Studies in the Universities in the diaspora? Where are their graduates going? What is being done in terms of research, etc. in the areas of Sikh and Punjabi literature, prose, verse, song, music, etc?
2: Ravinder Singh (Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.), December 08, 2010, 11:27 AM.
Irvinder ji: I am one of the students who benefited as an undergraduate from one of these departments, and am currently studying Sikh scripture and history at the University of Chicago. Interesting though that you want numbers ... it would be useful for you to look at the relevant websites of the departments to look at their scope. Hofstra University just hosted a conference on Sikh music. Gibb Schreffler from the University of California, Santa Barbara ("UCSB") wrote a dissertation on the dhol and the history of Punjabi music. If you will do some homework, you'll find all the answers.
3: Jorge Maass (Plano, Texas, U.S.A.), December 29, 2010, 10:48 PM.
How can I contact Prof. Nirvikar Singh?