Buffalo Undergraduate Conference on South Asia
Innovation & Heritage
Saturday, April 5, 2025, 9:45 am to 6:30 pm
In Person (104 O’Brian Hall, University at Buffalo) + Zoom
(Register for link)
Dr. Ashima Krishna, Keynote Speaker
Clinical Associate Professor in the John Martinson Honors College at Purdue University
Saturday, April 5th at 5:15 PM EST
„Honoring Heritage, Preserving Community, and Building Resilience: Church Conversions in Buffalo, NY“
This event is free, but registration is required.
To register visit https://bit.ly/ubsouthasiaconf2025
For more information, please contact southasiaundergradconf[at]gmail.com
Dr. Ashima Krishna’s keynote will discuss the adaptive reuse of vacant churches in Buffalo, a response to the challenge of conserving urban heritage in cities with shrinking populations. While most conservation work is market-driven, churches with dwindling congregations face unique challenges due to vacancy and neglect. In cities like Buffalo, with growing immigrant populations particularly from South Asia, repurposing churches benefits both preservationists and immigrant communities by providing spaces for worship and community activities. Church adaptations can also contribute to neighborhood regeneration, preserve a sense of community, and build resilience as Dr. Krishna will discuss through various examples from around Buffalo.
Join student speakers, both domestic and international, as well as panel chairs from the University at Buffalo as they speak about some of the most important issues in South Asia. We will cover a diverse range of topics, discussing political, social, and environmental issues.
Program Schedule
Saturday, April 5th
Breakfast
9:00 am – 9:45 am
Opening Remarks
9:45 am – 10:00 am
Panel 1: Religious Identity in Modern India (Virtual)
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Panel Chair: Walter Hakala, University at Buffalo
Arza Zakir MP, Maitreyi College, University of Delhi, “Subjugation of Muslim subjectivity: The etymology of ‘migrant’ in post-partition India and the Muslim identity quandary”
Aishaani Bajaj, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, “Rebuilding cities, what remains? Development, heritage and changing forms of religious identity in India”
Marharnav Singhal, International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, “Between the Courts of law and Public Opinion: Rethinking ‘Media Manipulation’ and ‘Politics of Othering’ through the Tablighi Jama’at Incident in India”
Panel 2: South Asia explored through Media and Spirituality (In-person)
11:15 am – 12:30 pm
Panel Chair: Ayesha Rasul, University at Buffalo
Angshee Shankhdhar, University at Buffalo, “Dreaming, Being, and Meditating in South Asia”
Cynthia Francis, University of Cambridge, “English-Language Film Magazines in India c.1973-1990”
Sabaa Ahmed, Columbia University, “Rokeya Hossian’s Padmarag as a Third Space of Anti-Colonial Feminist Resistance”
Panel 3: Developments in National Identity and Discourse (In-person)
12:45 pm – 2:00 pm
Panel Chair: Sharmeen Mehri, University at Buffalo
Ashfah Alam, Columbia University, “Public Perception of Nuclear Energy in Bangladesh: Evaluating the Impact of Access to Tangible Economic Benefits on Public Opinion”
Siddhartha Chanda, Queens College, City University of New York, “The Framing of Kashmir in Secular Indian Nationalism”
Bhavika Ailawadi, University of California, San Diego, “Beyond Productivity: Rethinking Mental Health Metrics in Militarised Healthcare Economies”
Lunch Break 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Panel 4: Perspectives on Religion Past and Present (In-person)
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Panel Chair: Christopher Lee, Canisius College
Shaherzad Chawdree, University of Chicago, “Dressing the Nation: The Politics of the Shalwar-Kameez in Early Pakistan”
Aneri Patel, University of Toronto, “Temples in Transition: Balancing Sacred Heritage and Urban Ambitions in India?”
Nicholas Aliani, State University of New York at Oneonta, “Rejecting Christianity or Colonialism?”
Khadija Rashid, Cornell University, “Women’s Education in Lahore and Yogyakarta through the Lens of Islam”
Keynote Talk
5:15 pm – 6:30 pm
Introduction: Professor Ernest Sternberg, Urban & Regional Planning, University at Buffalo
Dr. Ashima Krishna
“Honoring Heritage, Preserving Community, and Building Resilience: Church Conversions in Buffalo, NY”