To commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the Singaporean Sikh community in collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS) have launched an academic programme in Sikh studies.
“This is the first Asian visiting professorship in Sikh Studies outside India. There are similar university-based study programmes on Sikhs in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States,” said Baljit Singh, president of the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board, which oversees two gurdwaras and a Sikh Centre in Singapore.
The academic programme was inaugurated by the former Singapore parliamentarian Inderjit Singh, who is the current Chairman of Coordinating Council of Sikh Institutions in Singapore. The NUS will manage a fund of SGD 2.4 million, running the programme with the aim to support the visiting professor in research and teaching Sikh studies.
“This Visiting Professorship will enable NUS to attract leading scholars who have demonstrated excellence in the study of Sikh philosophy, history, art, culture, traditions, value systems, Punjabi regional history and the wider Punjabi diaspora globally,” Inderjit Singh said.
“The Professor will be a senior or emerging scholar with a strong international reputation and publication record, extensive experience of teaching and student supervision, and be internationally recognised,” the former Parliamentarian added.