Rationale, Vision and Mission

At the core of the rationale behind the South Asian University is Southasianness –a socio-spatial, intellectual consciousness of regional togetherness anchored in the uniqueness of the Indian subcontinent.

The vision invokes a unity of purpose and underlines the imperative of a concerted collective regional effort to realize ecologically sustainable development and comprehensive security for all. The overarching challenge facing the South Asian University (SAU) is to curate and nurture a unique identity that distinguishes its mandate and mission from other centres of excellence focused on South Asia in various parts of the globe.

The SAU Regulation 8 devotes itself to the ‘Institute of South Asian Studies’ (ISAS). It is expected, however, that ISAS remains steadfastly focused on the entire region and will generate sufficient intellectual-academic motivation and momentum to facilitate the evolution of some of its Research Clusters, mentioned below, and their transition to autonomous Interdisciplinary Research Centres in due course of time. Examples include ‘Maritime South Asia and the Indian Ocean’, ‘Regional Natural Disaster Management’, and ‘Conflict Resolution & Enduring Peace’.

The SAU Regulation 8 underlines the need of the hour to “identify and focus research efforts in areas of shared concerns of the SAARC Member States”. Whereas, in the Academic Programme for Phase I (2010-2014) proposed by the Academic Task Force of SAU ¹ — and finalized in March 2010, after the 6th Steering Committee Meeting — the Institute of South Asian Studies is identified as one of the ‘Novel Concepts’ of SAU. It also illuminates the uniqueness of the Indian sub-continent, on the larger canvas of continental and maritime Asia, as an integrated ecological-geographical region “from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean”, characterized by “a common weather system dominated by the South-Western Monsoon, common river system with shared rivers that flow from one country to the other, a long common coastline and indeed a shared cultural heritage”.

It is further noted by the Academic Task Force that intra-SAARC ecosystems are so interlocked that disasters such as floods, landslides, earthquakes and epidemics, and tsunamis anywhere in the region will profoundly impact everyone. We are further reminded that “SAARC countries may also complement each other in the supply and demand of crucial resources. Hydro-electric/geo-thermal and oil/gas potential of some countries may meet the energy needs of the rest. Similarly, there are issues of migration of manpower, public policies, terrorism and general governance itself that are shared concerns in the region”. The rationale behind the setting up of the Institute of South Asian Studies is described as follows:

It will be immensely useful that the South Asian University has a competent and rigorous think tank to mull over such shared issues from a regional perspective and attempt to evolve shared approaches for solving such problems. Such an institute may also focus on sharing of experiences of different South Asian countries in public policy and governance issues. The list of shared concerns can go on, and so can the strategic academic approaches to address them.

References

Academic Structure, South Asian University, Prepared by the Academic Task Force of SAU, for consideration by the SAARC Member States, July 30, 2009. Finalized March 2010 after the 6th Steering Committee Meeting, pp. 6-8.