Chair on Sikh Studies inaugurated at GNDU

The Vice-Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Prof Karamjit Singh, today inaugurated the ‘Chair on Sikh Studies’ under a historic agreement with Jaspreet Singh, a renowned attorney and social worker based in Sacramento, California, USA.

Due to the special initiative of the Vice-Chancellor, the chair has been established at the university and former Director of the Centre of Studies, Dr Amarjit Singh, has been appointed as its head.

The VC said that the development and future plans of the chair will soon be announced. He said that the activities and progress of the chair will be discussed by setting targets for every three months so that the objectives set by Jaspreet Singh, the attorney based in USA, can be fulfilled.

Prof Karamjit Singh said that through this chair, efforts will be made to find appropriate solutions at the academic level to counter challenges being faced by Sikhism in the modern era. “Special attention will be paid on how to connect the younger generation with the rich religious heritage of Sikhism. Keeping in mind every age-group and intellectual level, publishing quality research books in simple language and modern idiom will be among its main tasks. The chair will start a special lecture series in which eminent Sikh scholars will be invited from time to time to deliver lectures on relevant Sikh issues,” he said.

The agreement between GNDU VC and US-based Jaspreet Singh was signed in the beginning of June and this chair was established at the university in mid-July. The purpose largely would be to carry out research and documentation of Sikh history, religious and otherwise, to promote it in contemporary social scenario.