SARGODHA: The Syndicate of Sargodha University (SU) has given the nod to establish International Centre for Punjab Studies (ICPS) at the main campus as a premier venue for research and scholarly exchange to aid cultural understanding and community cohesion.
The idea was hatched at the 1st International Punjabi Conference on ‘Punjab History, Literature & Civilization,’ held at the main campus on April 15-16, 2019, where a resolution was moved to establish the Centre.
The proposal regarding establishment of the Centre was first presented before the University’s Academic Council which decided after approving the proposal that focus should be made on inter-disciplinary subjects and studies related to Punjab’s history, culture, identity, tradition and civilization, and the Punjabi communities settled in other parts of the world.
ICPS will promote the study of Punjabi language, literature, culture and history with the goal of supporting greater understanding and use of Punjabi as a major world language as well challenges facing region of the Punjab and its people. Its main objectives will be:
It will also establish partnerships with institutions around the world that will connect scholarship on Punjabi at the University of Sargodha with institutions around the world that engage with the study of Punjabi language, culture and history.
Moreover, ICPS would engage in research undertaken on Punjabi folklore, epics, oral history, Punjabi literary and linguistic studies as well as a cultural study of Punjab and its regional and global impact. It will also engage in collaborative research projects in line with the CPEC, one belt one road connectivity vision and policy studies on Punjab’s socio-economic policies, rural and urban divides, and future policy framework for a thriving Punjabi economy.
Other objectives of ICPS include creating research projects to increase inter-provincial harmony and understanding through the study of archaeological elements of Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, and regional ancient civilizations.
Furthermore, ICPS will collect, procure, buy, borrow, and copy manuscripts and rare prints of Punjabi language for research purposes while collecting and reprinting or bringing about new editions of all the publications by orient lists on the Punjabi language and Punjab is also a major objective of the Centre.
Key functions of ICPS include establishing a Punjabi Studies teaching program at the University; founding of a research journal of Punjab Studies in Pakistan; offering fellowship program for Pakistani and non-Pakistani scholars to be resident at the Centre and formation of devising programs of research in collaboration with international institutions and signing of MoUs with esteemed institutions.
With the Centre in function, the University would become a hub of preservation of Punjabi language, literature and culture while connecting the study of Punjabi society to future economic and resource planning for megaprojects like CPEC.
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