Public Health and Policy Innovation in South Asia

Dates: September 8–10, 2025

This three-day workshop seeks to bring together the leading experts in public health and policy and rural outreach to forge tangible efforts to rectify existing health inequities occurring in South Asia. Hosted by the Centre for South Asian Public Policy Studies, all are welcome who seek to understand the gaps that create inequities in access, inequitable opportunity, and infrastructure issues faced by both urban and rural settings.

The keynote address for the symposium will be given by Dr. Ravi Iyer, Professor of Social Policy and Public Health, who will provide a case for the need to change structures from evaluative assessments of health care delivery systems that reinforce the interdependence of public health, investment, and greater health equity for at-risk populations.

Panels will feature interdisciplinary experts who discuss the role of telehealth within primary care, the expansion of mobile health care to unreachable communities, and how to cultivate health policy initiatives that acknowledge socioeconomic diversity but have limited financial feasibility.

All panels will be recorded, and access to full presentations and compiled notes will be disseminated after the symposium. Each presentation and subsequent access will pave the way for action in future discussions regarding sustainable public health equity in South Asia.

The Dynamics of Social Justice in South Asia

Date: April 10–12, 2025

The upcoming international conference “The Dynamics of Social Justice in South Asia” will critically examine the evolving landscape of justice in one of the world’s most complex and diverse regions. Over three days, scholars, policy-makers, activists, and students will gather to explore how historical legacies—such as colonial governance, caste hierarchies, and gendered power structures—continue to shape the lived experiences of marginalized populations.

Keynote lectures will be delivered by Dr. Priya Deshmukh, an internationally respected scholar in gender and postcolonial studies, and Professor Ibrahim Farooq, a leading expert on legal pluralism and institutional reform in South Asia. Their insights will frame the conference’s broader inquiry into how systemic injustice intersects with contemporary movements for human rights, equity, and democratic participation.

Thematic sessions will address a range of pressing issues, including gender justice and intersectionality, the rights of indigenous and tribal communities, and the transformative potential of civil society organizations. Special attention will be given to the dynamics of state power, religious identity, and economic restructuring in shaping access to justice.

Participants will have access to all keynote addresses and panel discussions in recorded format, along with downloadable scholarly materials and policy briefs. Through these resources, the conference aims not only to foster interdisciplinary dialogue, but also to generate actionable knowledge that will support local and regional efforts toward sustainable and inclusive social transformation.

Governance in a Globalized World: South Asia’s Role

Date: December 5–7, 2025

This conference aims to explore South Asia’s early yet increasingly geopolitical position in shaping the global governance order. As an interdisciplinary gathering of the disciplines of political science, practitioners, policy-makers, and regional studies, proposed proceedings will benefit anyone eager to understand how South Asia is active in the face of supranational challenges, bringing about institutional changes at the global level.

For example, within the themed sessions, a governance reform panel led by Dr. Rajiv K. Menon and a cross-disciplinary workshop on cross-border policymaking led by Dr. Andrew Hyunwoo Kim will foster engagement in democratic backsliding, multilateral engagement, digital governance, and remapping norms based on developmental realities.

By the end, South Asia will not be positioned as a mere recipient of global governance dictates but rather as an active agent and champion of change for new pathways. The proceedings will be transcribed for virtual publication within an international academic and policy community for ongoing practical and scholarly use.