MCM Inaugurates UGC-Sponsored International Seminar

Manoj Godara, Chandigarh, 24th September 2010: The Post Graduate Department of English of MCM DAV College for Women, Chandigarh hosted the inauguration of the 3-day UGC Sponsored International Seminar on “Scholars in Shakespeare: A Postmodern Scrutiny” in collaboration with The Shakespeare Association (India). The seminar was inaugurated by Randeep Singh Surjewala, Cabinet Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Haryana. Surjewala felicitated MCM for taking the enormous initiative of International Standards in the area of literary research. In his inspiring address reminiscent of maxims from William Shakespeare, Surjewala asserted that the works of Shakespeare have been analyzed through the prisms of time and still continue to remain relevant and applicable. He expressed his hope that the seminar will be scholarly stimulating and will bring to a new world our understanding of Shakespeare. The theme of the event was introduced by Mrs. Manju Singh, Convenor of the Seminar and Head of the PG Dept. of English, MCM DAV College for Women. Elaborating on the diverse themes of Shakespearean works that shall be critiqued through the seminar against a postmodernist backdrop, she expressed her hope that the seminar will satiate the intellectual yearnings of the participants in its three days of deliberation. The galaxy of scholars and academicians along with the Chief Guest released the “Souvenir” of the seminar at the inauguration ceremony.
The inaugural address was delivered by Prof. R. S. White, Department of English and Cultural Studies, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia on “Love’s Labour Lost: Shakespeare Scholars as Postmodernists”. The inaugural session was chaired by Prof. R. W. Desai, Retd. Professor, University of Delhi. Prof. Bhim Singh Dahiya, Former Vice Chancellor of Kurukshetra University and President of The Shakespeare Association (India) delivered the Keynote Address at the Inauguration on “Shakespeare Scholars: An Overview”. Prof. Dahiya elaborated on the various themes of scholarship in Shakespeare and their postmodernist interpretations which shall be deliberated upon through the course of the seminar. The inauguration brought Principals of various educational institutions from the tricity, International stalwarts in the area of Shakespearean studies and scholars and researchers on Shakespeare from all over the world to the portals of MCM.
The college played host to scholars such as Prof. Lisa Hopkins, Professor of English and Head of the Graduate School, Faculty of Development and Society, Sheffield Hallam University, UK and Prof. Stuart Sillars, Dept. of Foreign Languages, University of Bergen. The inaugural session also included the release of Shakespeare: a New Biography by Prof. Bhim Singh Dahiya, The Critic Shakespeare: Essays in Appreciation edited by Prof. Anand Prakash and Prof S. P.S. Dahiya and Special Edition of the Journal on Drama Studies. The seminar was inaugurated in an academic ambience created with a book exhibition cum sale adding to the educative content of it.
The inaugural session was followed by the presentation of 21 papers by international scholars and experts. Avid discussions on various themes of Shakespearean scholarship were held in various sessions. Parallel sessions were organized to critically contemplate on a diverse set of issues related with a postmodernist analysis of Shakespearean works. With resource persons such as Prof. Swati Ganguly, Associate Professor, Dept. of English, Vishwabharti University, Shantiniketan, Prof. S. L. Paul, Retd. Professor, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra and Prof. Ram Nivas, Dept. of English, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, the first day of the seminar offered an in depth investigation of a wide range of themes from Shakespeare’s works. The sessions were chaired by experts such as Prof. Sillars, University of Bergen, Prof. S. Sengupta, Krishnagar Govt. College, Kolkota, Prof. Manju Jaidka, Department of English and Cultural Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, Prof. Pushpinder Syal, Head, Regional Centre, EFLU, Lucknow and Prof. Brajesh Sawhney.
The Principal of the college, Dr. Puneet Bedi congratulated the PG Department of English on a successful start of this international event. Dr. Bedi said that MCM is ever committed to the task of furthering research in various disciplines and expressed her hope that the seminar will prove fruitful in invigorating the researching attitude further in the academic world. Dr. Bedi added that the seminar will prove enriching for scholars in Shakespeare and postmodern studies with its international scope.