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<TITLE>Centre for Indian Diaspora and Cultural Studies Conference, Patan, India Jan. 2-4 2011</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>A conference on “CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF SWARNIM GUJARAT: THE ROLE OF <BR>
GUJARATI DIASPORA" organized by the Centre for Indian Diaspora and Cultural <BR>
Studies, Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Patan, India will be <BR>
held on January 2-4, 2011. The venue is a 5 Star Resort on the <BR>
Ahmedabad-Mehsana Highway, ~60kms from Ahmedabad Airport towards Mehsana.<BR>
<BR>
The conference is intended to be highly interdisciplinary, and seeks to <BR>
cover the disciplines such as "Science & Technology, Informational <BR>
Technology, Engineering, Industry, management, Tourism, Hospitality, <BR>
Literature, Arts, Culture, Social Sciences, Media and Social Networking." <BR>
The organisers would hope for a culturally informed tilt towards issues <BR>
connected with the indian diaspora, and the Gujarati diaspora in particular, <BR>
within any of those topics — but flexibility is the order of the day.<BR>
<BR>
Gujarat is a vegetarian state, which provides for added interest and a <BR>
wonderfully north-Indian experience.A wonderful time will be had by anyone <BR>
who goes. <BR>
<BR>
"As a sequel to two previous successful conferences, the UGC Area Study <BR>
Centre for Indian Diaspora and Cultural Studies, Hemchandracharya North <BR>
Gujarat University, proposes its third international conference on <BR>
“Celebrating 50 Years of Swarnim Gujarat: The Role of Gujarati Diaspora,” <BR>
January 2-42011, in coordination with the NRG Foundation/NRI Division, <BR>
Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar. The conference, the third in the series, <BR>
seeks to continue deliberations initiated by the first event in January <BR>
2008. It seeks strategies to tap diasporic human resources and financial <BR>
capital for the development of the State, and to encourage the State’s joint <BR>
ventures with the diasporic professionals in growing sectors of economy such <BR>
as education and information technology.<BR>
<BR>
The major objectives of the proposed Conference are:<BR>
<BR>
• To provide, for world-wide Gujarati Diaspora and for those in other <BR>
countries whose research includes diasporic issues, a globally recognized <BR>
platform for dialogue and discussion.<BR>
• To invite prominent NRGs and other researchers with an interest in <BR>
Gujarat, and India in general, for an exchange of views with the state <BR>
Government, and to encourage networking on matters of common interest.<BR>
• To help bring the Gujarati Diaspora closer to its motherland, and <BR>
strengthen the inherent bond between Gujarat, its globally spread NRGs, and <BR>
interested researchers.<BR>
• To plan an inclusive strategy to enhance the reciprocal engagement between <BR>
Gujarat and its diaspora<BR>
To promote intellectual contributions from the Gujarati Diaspora, and from <BR>
diasporic researchers in other countries, to enrich and modernise the <BR>
research institutes of the State with their experience and expertise." <BR>
<BR>
anyone interested should contact Greg Battye at University of Canberra in <BR>
the first instance:<BR>
<BR>
<a href="Greg.Battye@canberra.edu.au">Greg.Battye@canberra.edu.au</a><BR>
<BR>
It may be possible to arrange some assistance, provided by the Gujarat State <BR>
Government, with travel.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Professor Greg Battye<BR>
Deputy Dean<BR>
Faculty of Arts and Design<BR>
University of Canberra<BR>
ACT 2601<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Phone: +61 2 6201 2928 Fax: +61 2 6201 5300<BR>
Australian Government Higher Education (CRICOS)<BR>
Registered Provider number: #00212K<BR>
<BR>
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