The Institute for South Asia Studies is thrilled to announce the establishment of the Dr. Ranjit Singh Sabharwal Endowed Fund for Sikh Studies. Generously funded by the friends and family of Dr. Ranjit Singh Sabharwal, as well as others committed to advancing Sikh Studies, the Sabharwal Fund supports the creation of a year-long visiting lectureship: the Sabharwal Lecturer in Sikh Studies.
Based jointly in the Institute for South Asia Studies and the Department of South & Southeast Asian Studies, the Sabharwal Lecturer will teach two courses in Sikh Studies and share their research through public presentations to the campus and local community.
We are delighted to announce Dr. Puninder Singh as the inaugural Sabharwal Lecturer in Sikh Studies. He will begin his residency in Fall 2025. Read more about Dr. Singh here.
The Fund and the Program is named in honor of the late Dr. Ranjit Singh Sabharwal. Dr. Sabharwal received an MA in Mathematics at UC Berkeley in 1962 and a Ph.D. from Washington State University. He taught at California State University (East Bay) for twenty-six years. A much-respected and loved figure in the Bay Area Sikh community, Dr. Sabharwal was involved in the establishment of the Fremont Gurdwara as well as the Guru Granth Sahib Foundation, Inc. (Hayward Gurdwara).
The Sikh Studies Initiative at UC Berkeley
The Institute for South Asia Studies at UC Berkeley is looking for your support to strengthen research and scholarship in Sikh Studies, with a special focus on literature, history, and culture. Success will allow the Institute for South Asia Studies to:
- Train the next generation of scholars and academics focused on Sikh Studies
- Increase Sikh Studies-related holdings in Berkeley’s world renowned South Asia collection.
- Build on our existing Dr. Ranjit Singh Sabharwal Endowed Fund for Sikh Studies
If you would like to make an online donation in support of Sikh Studies at UC Berkeley, please click on the button on the right.