NUS FASS South Asian Studies Programme<\/a>, with a S$1.06 million endowment fund raised by the local Sikh community (with donations receiving government dollar-to-dollar matching), this is the first Sikh studies visiting professorship to be established in Asia, outside the Indian subcontinent.<\/p>\r\nFASS Dean, Professor Lionel Wee, said \u201cAssoc Prof Jasjit Singh is a leading authority in the field of Sikh studies, he is also well-regarded as an innovator in his impact-related work as demonstrated by his meaningful engagements with minority ethnic communities and organisations in the UK. With his expertise on British Sikhism, Assoc Prof Singh will sharpen our scholarly lens on Sikh beliefs and practices, and deepen our students\u2019 knowledge and appreciation of the Sikh way of life not only in Singapore but internationally. We thank CSGB for working with us on this pioneer endeavour which supports our Faculty\u2019s wider aim of community engagement with the society.\u201d<\/p>\r\n
Assoc Prof Singh is currently teaching an undergraduate course titled \u201cIntroduction to Sikhism\u201d where students will be introduced to the foundational tenets of Sikhism and its historical development in pre-colonial and colonial India. He will also deliver guest lectures on the Sikhs for undergraduate courses, \u201cSouth Asia in Singapore\u201d and \u201cWorld Religions\u201d. At the NUS FASS South Asian Studies Programme, he will lead research on digital Sikhism \u2013 the study of the impact of the digital online environment on the religious\u00a0lives\u00a0of\u00a0Sikhs and specifically how Sikhs in Singapore engage online.<\/p>\r\n
Additionally, Assoc Prof Singh will deliver a workshop to the Sikh community and a public lecture open to all organised by the CSGB and NUS which are scheduled to take place in November 2023.<\/p>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_10824\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\"]![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/sas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/08\/20230823csgbinauguralvisitingprofessorship-2-1024x576.jpg\")
As the first CSGB Visiting Professor in Sikh Studies, Assoc Prof Jasjit Singh will be leading research and teaching courses in Sikhism and the Sikh way of life.<\/strong>[\/caption]\r\nCommenting on the Visiting Professorship, Mr Dilbagh Singh, President of CSGB, said \u201cThe Sikh community in Singapore is a super minority of 12,500. Despite our small numbers, the community has contributed its fair share to nation-building and emphasised the importance of inter-faith harmony for maintaining the country\u2019s social fabric, as well as its economic prosperity and international standing. With this visiting professorship, we hope to promote Sikh cultural heritage and foster a deeper understanding of Sikhism and the Sikh way of life.\u201d<\/p>\r\n
Visiting Professor Assoc Prof Jasjit Singh, said \u201cI am thrilled to be appointed as the inaugural Visiting Professor in Sikh Studies at the NUS. This position provides me with the opportunity to teach students from a different social and cultural context to my own and to learn about how they perceive Sikhs and how these perceptions have been developed. It allows me to research a relatively underexamined but very significant part of the Sikh diaspora. With moves in academia to diversify and decolonise, it is becoming more and more important to bring in underexamined perspectives and to ensure that research on the Sikh diaspora is not solely based on the Western experience. The Chair is also an excellent example of university\/community engagement which has been at the core of my academic career to date and highlights how the NUS and CSGB are committed to racial and religious harmony through the exchange of ideas and perspectives, helping to foster cross-cultural understanding.\u201d<\/p>\r\n
More information on Assoc Prof Singh can be found\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n
<\/article>\r\nThis story first appeared in NUSnews<\/a> on 23 August 2023.<\/i><\/em><\/p>\r\n<\/div><\/div>