Singapore National University appoints British Professor Jasjit Singh to raise appreciation of Sikh way of life internationally

Singapore, Aug 23 (PTI) The prestigious National University of Singapore on Wednesday appointed UK-based Indian-origin academician Jasjit Singh as a visiting faculty to conduct lectures on Sikh beliefs and raise appreciation of the Sikh way of life internationally.
    Singh, 51, is currently associated as an associate professor at the UK's University of Leeds and is considered to be a leading authority in the field of Sikh studies.
    “With his expertise on British Sikhism, Associate Prof Singh will sharpen our scholarly lens on Sikh beliefs and practices, and deepen our students’ knowledge and appreciation of the Sikh way of life not only in Singapore but internationally,” Professor Lionel Wee, Dean at National University of Singapore's (NUS)Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), said.
    He announced Singh’s appointment as the inaugural Central Sikh Gurdwara Board (CSGB) Visiting Professor (Chair) in Sikh Studies on Wednesday.
    “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,” Wee said.
    CSGB led the Sikh community here in raising the 1.06 million Singaporean dollars endowment fund, with the Singapore Government matching dollar-for-dollar, for setting up with NUS FASS the first visiting professorship (Chair) in Asia, outside the Indian subcontinent.
    Singh began his one semester at FASS on August 7, 2023, in the new academic year 2023-2024.
    Singh is currently teaching an undergraduate course titled “Introduction to Sikhism” 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, “South Asia in Singapore” and “World Religions”.
    At the NUS FASS South Asian Studies Programme, he will also lead research on digital Sikhism – the study of the impact of the digital online environment on the religious lives of Sikhs and specifically how Sikhs in Singapore engage online.
    Additionally, Singh will deliver a series of workshops 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.
    Commenting on his appointment, Singh said, “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, he said.
    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, he elaborated.
    CSGB President Dilbagh Singh said “Despite our small numbers, the 12,500 Sikh community has emphasised the importance of inter-faith harmony for maintaining Singapore's 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.”

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)