The 2003 program was, as usual, based at the Hotel Shivalikview in Chandigarh. There were 16 participants (listed below with affiliations) as well as a number of important visitors, including Prof. Mark Juergensmeyer (UC Santa Barbara and author of Terror in the Mind of God) and Prof. John Stratten Hawley (Columbia University). At the end of the program, the participants were asked to submit an extensive written evaluation. Once again, the vast majority of the comments were positive and the program was a great success. Please see the past reports for detailed summaries of the program, but to avoid repetition, this yearly report consists solely of the participants' comments with pictures.

"This is a vibrant, unique Summer Programme. What distinguishes is from any other programme I have participated in is its complete efficiency in organization and delivery. It is very methodical in its structure. It's divided into level: the first is the academic level including rigorous lectures in history, political science, and sociology of Punjab, presented by renowned professors of the region. The lectures were intenst and the daily agendas were chronologically formatted . . ."

"To meet prominent personalities from different walks of life in a limited period cannot be visualized outside of this program. Reflections about themselves and their work actually complements the academic themes. Meeting Shiv Singh has been a very stimulating experience for me. He actually brings life into art. He has this ability to help an untrained eye appreciate the sculptural quality of the geometric buildings of Chandigarh. I have become more aware . . . "

"For me, travel was one of the most useful parts of the program. Having established a base in Chandigarh, and having learned about Punjab in a classroom setting, the chance to go out and see the place was a great synthesis of we we had begun to discuss. To travel and see religion and culture 'on the groun' is really necessary for putting all this new information together, and it was this most of all which gave me a real sense of Punjab."

An e-mail received on September 03, 2003:

"Within 12 hours of walking the the plane in St. Louis I was in front of our faculty doing power point presentations on academic standars, then off to advising incoming freshmen, helping international students adjust to the American way of education, an duplicating copies of my syllabi. Throughout I cannot forget the incredible intellectual and personal feast I just partook of. It has been many years since I have had a such a rich experience. I am humbled. I so appreciate the nature and behavior of our colleagues. There was such willingness, eagerness, humility, supportiveness. Carolyn and I have swapped a few e-mails, and she mentioned the same thing. The program delivered all that was good about the academy: rigor and vigor and enthusiasm and growth and exploration, and none of the downsides (ego, false pride, intellectualizing). And, I associate its success with your own personal qualities."

"The most effective aspect of the travel component of the program was getting to meet people, specifically the heads of the communities we studied and visited. These introductions and interactions transformed these visits from tourist pictures for a photo album to enriching experiences that really taught me about the places and communities that make up Punjab."

List of the participants

Faculty and Independent Scholars

1. Nitasha Sawhney, J.D.,UC Davis
2. Caroline Sawyer, Humanities, State University of New York, Westbury
3. Shinder Thandi, Economics, Coventry University, England
4. John Williams, Political Science, Principia College, Illinois

Graduate Students

5. Manpreet Bains, Ph. D. (Political Science), UC Santa Barbara
6. Jasmeet Bawa, M. Phil. (Sociology), Delhi University
7. Kuldeep Grewal, Ph.D. (Religious Studies), UC Santa Barbara
8. Chloe Martinez, Ph.D. (Religious Studies), UC Santa Barbara
9. Vanita Sharma, D. Phil. (History), Oxford University
10. Gurdit Singh, Ph.D. (Sociology), UC Santa Barbara
11. Sabha Soomekh, Ph.D. (Religious Studies), UC Santa Barbara
12. Shahla Young, M.A. (South Asian Studies), California Polytechnic, Pamona

Under-Graduates Students
13. Randall Moore, B.A. (Religious Studies), UC Santa Barbara, 2005
14. Priti Mubah, B.A. (Religious Studies), McMaster University, Canada, 2003
15. Dan Naval, B.A. (Global Studies), UC Santa Barbara, 2005
16. Parminder S. Sandhu, B.A. (Global Studies), UC Santa Barbara, 2003