Institutional Activities

JMI organizes online lecture on “The Idea of the Humanities” by University of Melbourne Professor Simon During

New Delhi. : The Department of English, Jamia Millia Islamia(JMI)  organized the fourteenth lecture of the Distinguished Lecture Series, “On the Idea of the Humanities” by Prof. Simon During, University of Melbourne, on Friday, 17 th December, 2021, 7:30-8:30 PM IST on Zoom.

Prof. Simi Malhotra, H.o.D., Department of English, JMI, Indian PI, delivered the welcome address, greeting the invited speaker, faculty, scholars, and students. She spoke about the talk as a part of the ongoing collaborative project between the Department of English,JMI and the Department of English and American Studies, University of Würzburg, on “New Terrains of Consciousness: Globalization, Sensory Environments and Local Cultures of Knowledge”, supported by the Ministry of Education’s initiative SPARC, “Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration” which aims to facilitate academic and research collaboration between higher education institutes in India and abroad. She, then, introduced the esteemed speaker, Prof. Simon During, who was greeted by a round of applause.

Through this lecture Prof Simon During undertook the urgent task of delimiting and defining the humanities by furthering the idea of a humanities world. While commenting on how institutional settings have brought about a moment of post-disciplinary humanities, he maintained that the humanities were never contained by a single approach. In underscoring the resonance and significance of popular, amateur and figurative humanities, Prof. During demonstrated how the humanities have become increasingly disunified in their methods and expressions.

Prof. During further explicated how the distinctiveness of humanities is rooted neither in the set of objects that they analyze nor in the method of analysis. He maintained that the humanities’ singularity lies in its particular ethos or set of dispositions. The humanities make truth claims and include diverse dispositions including contemplation and curiosity. In conclusion he situated the humanities historically and as also commented on how the humanities are organized across space and time.

This was followed by an engaging, in-depth Q/A session coordinated by Ms. Sakshi Dogra, Ph.D. Scholar, Department of English, JMI. The event was brought to an end with a Vote of Thanks by Ms. Saneya.

The talk was conducted by, Ms. Zahra Rizvi, Ms. Shraddha A. Singh and Ms. Suman Bhagchandani, Ph.D. scholars, Department of English, JMI, and was enthusiastically attended by a large crowd of scholars, students, and faculty from all over the world and across various time-zones.

To ensure a wide range of viewership and participation, the event was also live streamed on YouTube, and was attended by over a hundred participants.

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