2012 was a year filled with networking activities for the Swedish South Asian Studies Network (SASNET). We organised 26 academic seminars at Lund University, including eight lunch seminars at Lunds konsthall, an international workshop for European PhD candidates in Falsterbo, and a major Indian Festival (Mela) held in April. A large number of South Asian academics visited SASNET, and we made valuable networking tours to several universities in Sweden, Europe and South Asia, besides attending the 22nd European Conference on South Asian Studies in Lisbon.

SASNET also continued to administer the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) visiting Indian guest professorship at Lund University, and acted as consultants to the university’s Division of External Relations. At the end of the year, we were also given new Directions by the Vice Chancellor, and a decision by Lund University to provide funding for SASNET with SEK 2.64 m a year for the coming three years 2013-15. Finally, we continued to develop and update our extensive Internet gateway disseminating information on South Asia-related education and research being conducted at 300 Swedish university departments, and also publishing the monthly on-line newsletter that circulates to 2,700 recipients worldwide.

See a SASNET 2012 Activity Report compiled by Lars Eklund.