Awantipora : A Three-Day International Conference on Culture, Heritage and Spirituality of Kashmir: Retrospect and Prospect is being organised by Islamic University of Science and Technology from 18th – 20th October 2022. According to a statement issued from the Public Relations Office of the University the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Shakil Ahmad Romshoo, the patron of the conference shall preside over the inaugural function of the event on 18th October 2022 The keynote speaker shall be Prof. Dinesh Kumar Singh, Chancellor K.R Mangalam University and former Vice Chancellor Delhi University.
The conference aims to initiate a discussion regarding the rich spiritual, literary and artistic legacy of Kashmir. It is a Pan IUST Centre initiative where all the centres such as Averroes Centre for Philosophical Studies, Habba Khatoon Centre for Language and Literature and International Centre for Spiritual Studies have come together to provide a platform for serious academic and professional deliberation on Kashmir culture, heritage and spirituality.
Speaking about the need for such types of academic endeavours, Prof. Romshoo honourable Vice Chancellor IUST said, “The conference offers an opportunity for all interested parties, including those from academia, the government, civil society, and cultural and literary organisations, to collaborate on developing strategies for the preservation and promotion of our legacy, culture, and language. IUST will always be at the forefront of the mission to preserve rich cultural and linguistic diversity of the people of Kashmir.”
Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Malik, Dean Academics Affairs, IUST and Chair of the conference, talking about the motivation behind the conference said, “Kashmir has a rich legacy of cultural diversity and has been a melting pot of varied religious beliefs that include Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. We must cherish and celebrate this reassuring blend of cultural, religious, intellectual and spiritual heritage of Kashmir. With this profound objective, the conference aims to bring together scholars, academicians, experts who can delve deep into our past both near and distant to build an unbiased consensus and to distinguish the truth from falsehood.”
The conference shall be organized in a hybrid mode with scholars and academicians from different parts of the world participating and sharing their erudite scholarship. Some of these hail from Harvard University, Boston University, Dayton University, University of Oklahoma and many national and local Universities as well.
The papers included are diverse and include overviews, empirical studies, theoretical reflections and critical engagements with regard to Language and Literature of Kashmir, Culture and Heritage of Kashmir, Kashmiri Mysticism and Syncretic Traditions of Islamic Architecture in Kashmir among many other related topics. With 38 invited speakers and 57 participants, the conference will feature four plenary sessions, two symposiums, five parallel sessions and one panel discussion at different locations of IUST.
