SAARC Research Projects – MID-TERM REVIEW MEETING 2013

 

A Meeting of the Research Review Committee of the SAARC Cultural Centre was held on 2-3 May 2013 at the Sigiriya Village Hotel, Sigiriya to review the progress of research by the Research Fellows engaged in two research projects launched by the SAARC Cultural Centre, viz. ‘Diminishing Cultures of South Asia’ and ‘Diasporic Cultures of South Asia during 18th to 20th Centuries’.

The Research Review Committee comprised eminent scholars and experts:

  1. Mr. G. L. W. Samarasinghe (Director, SAARC Cultural Centre): Chairperson
  2. Dr. Sanjay Garg (Deputy Director – Research, SAARC Cultural Centre): Convenor
  3. Prof. Nimal De Silva (Director, National Trust, Sri Lanka): Member
  4. Prof. Shantha K. Hennayake (Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Peradeniya): Member
  5. Ambassador H. M. G. S. Palihakkara (Former, Foreign Secretary,
    Sri Lanka): Member
  6. Dr. Sinharaja Tammita-Delgoda (Eminent Historian): Member

The objectives of this Review Meeting were to assess the progress of research work and to give constructive feedback to the researchers so that they are able to fulfil the objectives of the research project and are able to prepare their reports in a publishable format.
The following Research Fellows presented their progress reports at the meeting:

Diminishing Cultures of South Asia (2011-12)

# Name Title of the Proposal
Sri Lanka
1 Prof. Kalinga Tudor Silva Opportunities and Challenges for Traditional Arts and Crafts in Three Depressed Caste Communities in the Central Province in Sri Lanka.

Diasporic Cultures of South Asia During 18th to 20th Centuries (2012-13)

# Name Title of the Proposal
Bhutan
1 Ms. Sonam Yuodon and Ms. Tshering Choki Tibetan Diaspora in Bhutan and its historical dynamics
India
2 Dr. M. Waseem Raja Assessing South Asian Diaspora during Twentieth Century; A Case Study of Bhojpuri speaking people in Eastern India
3 Dr. Amit Kumar Mishra You are what you eat: Gustatory Negotiations and Articulations of Identities in Indian Diaspora in London (UK)
Maldives
4 Ms. Aishath Shafina and Mr. Midhath Abdul Rasheed Conceptualizing Diaspora: Interconnectedness of ‘home’ and ‘host’ culture
Pakistan
5 Prof. Minhaj ul Hassan A Socio-Cultural Profile of Pakistani Diaspora in Hong Kong
Sri Lanka
6 Mr. Sanmugeswaran Pathmanesan Temple Culture, Religious Practice and Cultural Circulation: An Anthropological Study of Three Selected Temples among the Indian Tamil Diasporic Communities in Sri Lanka
7 Dr. Upul Priyankara Lekamge Integrated Cultural Identities: Malays In Sri Lanka

The Research Review Committee expressed its satisfaction on the progress made by the Research Fellows and commended the laudable contribution being made by the SAARC Cultural Centre, towards building up a research platform for serious academic intercourse for the benefit of the scholars of the region.