South Asia Center, University of Pennsylvania

What happens when success challenges the caste order?

Join us for a screening of Punishing the Professor, followed by a conversation with Dr. P. Senrayaperumal and filmmaker Aayna. This powerful film traces Dr. Senrayaperumal’s journey from a village dropout to a college professor—and the institutional discrimination he faced despite his achievements. Centering caste, justice, and resilience, the screening invites us to reflect on the barriers that persist even in spaces of success.

🗓 April 24 | 12:30-2:00 PM
📍 B1 Forum, Perelman Center (133 S. 36th St)

Come be part of an important and necessary conversation.

There’s so much history carried in the tides 🌊

Join us for a fascinating conversation with Professor Thomas F. Tartaron as he explores the environmental, social, and historical forces shaping Kerala’s coastal fishing communities. Through oral histories, archives, and mapping, this seminar traces how traditions endure and evolve across centuries.

🗓 April 23 | 12-1 PM
📍 CASI Suite 230, Perelman Center (133 S. 36th St)

Come through and learn something new. Light refreshments will be provided!

Join us for a teach-in that brings together scholars and practitioners to think critically about 9/11 and what followed — from the expansion of the surveillance state and securitized immigration to anti-Muslim racism and wars carried far beyond congressional mandate. This will be a conversational space with small group discussion and food shared together.

This event will be held on April 28th from 5 to 7 pm.

📍3440 Market Street, 5th Floor

This is more than a commemoration, a space to ask what this history has meant, and what it continues to shape.

Register via the link in our bio!

Join us for the 135th Ambedkar Jayanti: a night of art, resistance, and community.

We’re coming together to honor the legacy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar through powerful conversations and creative expression. From a keynote by Dr. Carmel Christy K J to short films, art, puppetry, and songs of resistance — this evening is about remembering, learning, and building together.

📍 3401 Walnut St., Room 329A
April 17 | 5-8 PM

Come be part of a space rooted in justice, equality, and collective strength. Dinner will also be provided.

Reserve your spot via the link in our bio now!

Exploring climate change through a different lens 🌊

Join CASI for Sea-ing Like a Fisher: Knowing a Warming World Differently with Nityanand Jayaraman, as he shares how Tamil fishing communities understand environmental change through lived experience, relational ethics, and “sea change” rather than just “climate change.”

Thursday, April 9th at 12 PM | 📍Perelman Center for Political Science & Economics (CASI Suite 230)

Come learn, reflect, and think differently about how we understand a warming world!

Celebrating the Bengali New Year! Join Penn Bangla and Jefferson BSA for an evening of culture, community, and celebration! 🌸🎉

Exploring how knowledge itself changes 📚
Join the South Asian Studies Department for a talk by Dr. Charu Singh on how ideas of śāstra and vijñāna shaped the way science was understood in early 20th century North India. From print culture to everyday readers, this conversation dives into how people didn’t just learn science but they redefined it.

The event will be held April 1st at 4:30 PM in 402 Cohen Hall.

Come through for a really fascinating perspective on science, history, and how knowledge travels.

Coastal Worlds Conference 🌊

For three days, scholars, artists, and thinkers come together to explore the Indian Ocean as a space of connection, climate adaptation, and transformation. From histories of trade and migration to the realities of a warming world, this conference invites us to rethink coastlines as dynamic, living systems shaping our shared futures.

March 25-27 | Join us for panels, workshops, and a keynote exploring how communities navigate change and imagine what comes next!

Find more information through the link in our bio!

My Journey from Social Work to Cinema 🎬

Join us for the Spring 2026 CASI Saluja Global Fellow Lecture featuring Nandita Das, in conversation with Nikhil Anand and Aswin Punathambekar.

Das will reflect on her journey from social work to cinema and how film can be used to humanize social issues, challenge prejudice, and build empathy. Drawing from her work with marginalized communities and her experience across 40+ films, she’ll share how storytelling and advocacy come together in her work. The conversation will also touch on her films Firaaq, Manto, and Zwigato.

Thursday, March 19 | 4:30-7:00 PM
📍 Penn Museum

Lecture: 4:30-6:00 PM (Widener Lecture Hall)
Reception: 6:00-7:00 PM (Sphinx Gallery)

Check out more details on our website using the link in our bio!

Ready to deepen your connection to Malayalam this summer?

The South Asia Institute at UT Austin is now accepting applications for the 2026 Summer Language Program in Malayalam. Courses are offered online and provide college credit equivalent to a full academic year.

📚 First-Year & Second-Year Malayalam
🗓 Applications are due May 1, 2026

Open to college students and college-ready high school students! Tuition support and FLAS fellowships are also available for eligible students!

This intensive summer program is a unique opportunity to build language proficiency in just one season. Whether you’re beginning your journey or continuing your studies, now is the time to apply.

Visit the SAI website to learn more and submit your application. Link is in our bio!

Dialogues in Indian Studies: Water (VIRTUAL EVENT)

The American Institute of Indian Studies is excited to launch Dialogues in Indian Studies — a new virtual series bringing together scholars, activists, practitioners, and artists exploring new frontiers in Indian Studies.

Join us for a timely conversation on water featuring Shouraseni Sen Roy, Anand Jayakaran, and David Gilmartin.

February 27 | 11:00 AM

Register through the link in our bio!