The Centre for Canadian Studies at the University of Kerala was
set up in 1991 to further India Canada relationship and to
explore and promote academic research in Canadian Studies. In
recognition of the commendable work done by the Centre, the UGC
awarded it the prestigious Area Studies Centre Status in 2003 --
the only one of its kind in the University of Kerala -- to
promote teaching and research on Canada. The Centre focuses
attention on Culture and Literary Studies, Sociological and
Demographic Studies, Science and Technology, Political Science
and International Relations.
The Centre could achieve its present status because of sustained
efforts to generate and propagate interest in interdisciplinary
Canadian Studies, among the academia in India. Prof. Jameela
Begum, the Founder Director of the Centre had a vision about the
growth of the Canadian Studies programme in the university and
worked tirelessly to achieve it; it is now funded by the UGC as
part of the Area Studies Programme. The Centre has to date
organized 31 Seminars/ Conferences/Workshops/Lecture Series.
These have focused on current fields of intellectual enquiry and
involved participants from diverse disciplines from India and
abroad. Over 50 resource persons from Canadian universities have
delivered lectures and initiated profitable deliberations at
these forums. The centre has brought out 14 publications on
various aspects of Canadian Studies, including one translation
of Canadian short stories.
Eight faculty members and seven research scholars associated
with the Centre were awarded the Government of Canada
Fellowships and have served productive tenures at various
Canadian universities. Mr. Kaley Mason from the University of
Alberta, working on his Ph.D. titled Tribals and their Music in
Kerala was attached to the University of Kerala and was here for
a year.
The Centre has a library with over 3000 books and journals.
Students and faculty members from the adjacent States of Tamil
Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, in addition to our own
students, are using these materials extensively. The library is
partially computerized and has become an ever-growing storehouse
of information to aspiring Canadianists.
The Universities in Kerala are now offering different courses in
Canadian Studies related to their postgraduate, M.Phil., and
Doctoral Programmes, and the Centre Library has always been a
major source of study material and academic aid to these
students.
Canadian Writers and Scholars like James Reaney, Carol Shields,
M.G. Vassanji, David Williams, Shelagh Wilkinson, Carole Farber,
Smaro Kamboureli, Dennis Duffy, Mary Ann Duffy, Terry Goldie,
John Wood, Frank Davey, Merrily Weisbord, Claire Harris, Barbara
Godard, Arun Mukherjee, Uma Parameswaran, Arnold Itwaru, Balbir
Sahni, Coral Ann Howells, Robin Howells, Chelva Kanakanayagam,
Yuko Shibata, John Samuel, Drew Taylor, Lee Maracle, Columpa Bobb,
Ric Knowles and Prabhjot Parmar have delivered lectures and interacted with the students at
the Centre.
The Director, faculty members and students of the Area Study
centre have been an active presence in all Canadian Studies
Conferences and seminars in the country. They have sought to
nurture close ties with the academic communities in Canada and
elsewhere in the country so as to imbibe new trends and develop
fresh perspectives. |