Institute for South Asia Studies

10/19/2026

A panel discussion on Dreams’ Navel: Revisiting a Bengali Modernist Classic, Akhtaruzzaman Elias’s Khwabnama, a new volume edited by Firdous Azim and Naveeda Khan.

The volume offers fresh reflections on subaltern agency, gendered domesticity, and the evocative sensory world of the Bengali rural landscape. Dreams’ Navel provides a transformative vantage on a classic text, positioning Elias not just within the Bengali canon, but as a vital and provocative voice in global conceptual inquiry. This scholarly tribute is essential for readers seeking to understand the enduring power of Elias’s literary imagination and its resonance in the postcolonial world.

Event moderated by Elora Shehabuddin, Professor of Gender & Women’s Studies and Global Studies and Director, Subir and Malini Chowdhury Center for Bangladesh Studies, UC Berkeley.

🗓️Mon, Oct 19, 2026
🕘9 - 10:30 a.m. Berkeley | On Zoom

Register here:
https://berkeley.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_h0uy7TJ1TZGt45ZkYO4k_w #/registration

Event is FREE and OPEN to the public.

10/17/2026

It’s usually Munis D. Faruqui doing the introductions, welcoming speakers, and asking the questions. But this time, the tables were turned, and Munis was in the hot seat!

And what a turnout! More than 120 people packed the room to hear Munis chat with UC Berkeley historian Abhishek Kaicker about his new book, "Aurangzeb ‘Alamgir and the Mughal Empire: A History Retold."

And, of course, we couldn't let him leave without offering him one of our ISAS tote bags — something he's usually the one handing out!

A fun evening, a great conversation, and a big thank you to everyone who came!

Some photos from the evening included below.

10/14/2026

We were delighted to welcome Indranil Chakravarty, writer, filmmaker, and scholar, to Berkeley on October 13 for a fascinating talk, The Power of Intercultural Dialogue: Octavio Paz between Mexico and India. Drawing on his recent book, The Tree Within: Octavio Paz’s Years in India, Chakravarty explored how the celebrated Mexican poet and diplomat’s years in India transformed his writing and worldview, and how his engagement with Indian culture helped forge lasting intellectual and artistic connections between India and Latin America. The conversation was moderated by Atreyee Gupta, Associate Professor of Global Modern Art and South and Southeast Asian Art at UC Berkeley.

10/14/2026

We were delighted to welcome Matthew Shutzer, Assistant Professor of History at UC Berkeley, on October 8 for a fascinating talk on his new book, Until the Last Ton: Fossil Fuels in India from Empire to the Climate Crisis. Tracing India's rise as a major fossil-fuel economy, Shutzer explored how colonialism, capitalism, and environmental change have shaped the country's dependence on coal and other fossil fuels.

The talk was followed by a lively and thought-provoking conversation with Sharad Chari, Associate Professor of Geography at UC Berkeley.

Munis D. Faruqui, Director of the Institute for South Asia Studies, opened the event.

And because no serious academic gathering is complete without a touch of ceremony, the evening concluded with the official bestowal of the ISAS “Tote of Arms”—our most portable and practical form of institutional heraldry!

Photos below!

10/14/2026

On October 7, we were delighted to host a screening of No Monastery, No Village, a moving documentary directed by Tashi Lhazom, as part of the Voices from the Roof of the World series. Set in Nepal’s remote Limi Valley, the film explores a Himalayan community’s efforts to preserve its centuries-old Buddhist monastery and way of life amid the challenges of climate change.

The screening was followed by a lively discussion featuring filmmaker Tashi Lhazom and environmental journalist Ramesh Bhushal, both joining remotely, along with Ran Ran of Shenzhen University and Matthew Shutzer of UC Berkeley. The conversation was moderated by Alexander von Rospatt, Professor of Buddhist and South Asian Studies at Berkeley. Sanju Baral, a PhD student in Buddhist Studies at Berkeley, also shared a few remarks.

A few glimpses from the event!

10/13/2026

10/13/2026

This week at ISAS: three book talks

📖 Tue, Oct. 13 · 5–6:30 p.m. · 10 Stephens Hall
The Power of Intercultural Dialogue: Octavio Paz between Mexico and India Indranil Chakravarty, moderated by Atreyee Gupta

📖 Wed, Oct. 14 · 9–10:30 a.m. · On Zoom
New Directions in Bangladesh Studies: Borders, Belonging, and the Lived Experience of Political Exclusion in South Asia Farhana Afrin Rahman and Md. Azmeary Ferdoush

📖 Thu, Oct. 15 · 5–6:30 p.m. · 10 Stephens Hall
Aurangzeb ʿAlamgir and the Mughal Empire: A History Retold Munis D. Faruqui

10/09/2026

The Institute for South Asia Studies and the Subir & Malini Chowdhury Center for Bangladesh Studies at UC Berkeley are proud to co-sponsor 3rd i’s 24th Annual San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival.

This year’s festival showcases groundbreaking cinema from India, Pakistan, France, the UK, Canada, and the United States, ranging from witty comedies and nuanced dramas to science fiction and true-to-life stories, celebrating the richness of South Asia and its diaspora on screen.

📅 Oct. 9–11
📍 Roxie Theater, San Francisco
🎟️ Program and tickets: https://thirdi.org

10/08/2026

10/08/2026

Happening today:
A talk by Matthew Shutzer, Assistant Professor of History, on his new book, Until the Last Ton: Fossil Fuels in India from Empire to the Climate Crisis, a panoramic historical account of India’s ascent in the global fossil economy.

Thu, Oct 8 @ 5 pm
https://events.berkeley.edu/csas/event/326165-matthew-shutzer-until-the-last-ton-fossil-fuels-in-in