The University of Hyderabad (UoH) community is proud to celebrate the academic achievement of Shamshad Bashir, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology. Working under the supervision of Dr. Asima Jena, Shamshad was selected to present his research at the highly competitive Modern South Asia Workshop (MSAW) 2026, held from June 11–13 at the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

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At the workshop, Shamshad presented his paper titled “Suspended Lifeworlds: Violence, Memory and Temporality in Kashmir.”
Grounded in rigorous ethnographic fieldwork, his study offers a profound exploration of the lived realities in Kashmir. Key highlights of his research include:

• Fractured Temporalities: Examining how deeply embedded memories of violence generate a distinct sense of time that actively resists conventional, linear temporal frameworks.
• The Weight of Protracted Conflict: Illustrating how everyday life and temporal perceptions are altered under the weight of long-term, ongoing conflict.
• A New Lens on Mourning: Providing crucial sociological insights into understanding the specific, non-linear forms of mourning and healing adopted by affected communities.

Organized annually by the South Asian Studies Council and the Yale MacMillan Center at Yale University, MSAW is an elite international platform. It brings together a select cohort of advanced graduate students from across the globe to engage with the newest trajectories of research in Modern South Asian Studies.

For the 2026 edition in Colombo, only 18 participants were selected globally to share their work, engage in intensive scholarly discussions, and collaborate with distinguished faculty from premier international institutions. Acknowledging the Caliber of his research, Shamshad’s participation was fully funded by the South Asian Studies Council.

This global exposure underscores the Department of Sociology’s continued commitment to fostering deep, high-impact qualitative research that resonates on the global academic stage.

Congratulations to Shamshad Bashir on this milestone!