Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute

Shastri News - June 2009

Will Canadian universities soon set up shop on Indian soil?

The world is watching Kapil Sibal, India’s new minister in charge of higher education, anticipating the releases of his 100-day action plan this Thursday. Will he reintroduce a bill to welcome foreign universities into India? Minister Sibal was a keen supporter of the Foreign Universities Bill when it was originally drafted in 2007. Now that the new coalition government is not as dependent on leftist support, the bill has a good chance of being passed.

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What you need to know about applying for a visa to Canada

Many academics fear and loath the process of applying for Visas. Most have heard horror stories about bad experiences, delays and rejected applications. Do these stories shed an honest light on the reality of applying for a visitor’s visa today? We asked David Manicom, Minister-Counsellor and Immigration Program Manager at the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi. He welcomed the chance to set the record straight and provided some quality advice on how to relax while applying for a visa into Canada.

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UVic announces fellowship opportunity for Indian researcher

The Centre for Studies in Religion and Society at the University of Victoria has received funding for a pilot program to support an Indian scholar of religion to travel to and live in Victoria for four to six months, beginning early in 2010. Applications are welcome for projects that meet the Centre’s mandate of promoting the interdisciplinary study of religion in relation to any and all aspects of society and culture, both contemporary and historical.

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India provides pragmatic look at international business for 20 MBA students from Saskatchewan

For two weeks at the end of May, 20 MBA students from the Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan had a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of business in India. They explored India’s business practices, challenges and culture, through a combination of site visits and meetings with top executives and government officials.

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McGill Professor asks “Do people matter?” in seminar at the Asian Development Bank

Professor Madhav G. Badami from the School of Urban Planning and McGill School of Environment asked some tough questions during his seminar on pedestrian accessibility at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) last month. His presentation outlined the serious environmental, health, welfare, and resource-use impacts caused by rapidly growing motor vehicle activity in India.

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Meet our new Executive Council

We are happy to introduce the individuals who will be volunteering their time to lead us through this next year. Our Executive Council is completely bi-national and acts as the Board of the Shastri Institute.

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Grant Updates

• French Web Content: All grants and awards available to Canadians are now posted on our French website. To access details and applications forms in French please click here.

• We regret that there has been a discrepancy in our communications regarding the value of this year’s Partnership Development Seed Grants. We would like to clarify that this year the grants will be worth $15,000 each – not $20,000.

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Collaborative work progresses on Women and Peace Studies in Jammu

A bi-national (Canada-India) conference was held on “Women and Peacebuilding” at the Government College for Women in Jammu on May 12, 2009. The conference was supported by a Shastri Partnership Development Seed Grant and was organized with help from the Centre for New Literature, Communication and Culture, University of Jammu, the Government College for Women in Jammu and McMaster University in Canada.

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Shastri Arts Fellow featured in Contrasts: the U of C’s 5th Annual Chamber Music Festival

“Since returning from my Shastri Arts Fellowship in 2006, I have consistently been seeking out opportunities to spread cultural awareness and promote intercultural understanding through music. I see tabla as a means through which I can communicate with other artists, regardless of backgrounds and ethnicities…” Shastri Arts Fellow Abbas Janmohamed

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New Publication

“India has witnessed a steady increase in dramatic activity since the late nineteenth century through multiple forms and practices. Modern Indian Theatre: An Anthology brings together writings that speak to the historical contexts from which such practices emerged…”

Nandi Bhatia, ed. Modern Indian Theatre: An Anthology. Oxford University Press, 2009.

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