Page 14 - PULSE@FASS e-Bulletin 04_2020

Issue no. 4 | 2020

UNDP - The The KISAH Futures Competition was organised by the

KISAH Futures UNDP Accelerator Malaya’s Faculty in partnership Social
Malaysia,
Lab
with
MIGHT,
and
of
Arts
Universiti
Competition Sciences, and Think City. The competition invited people
–
18
Malaysians
either
the
over
of
age
living
anywhere
in
the world, or foreigners living in Malaysia – to write stories
BY ASSOCIATE PROF. DR. MARY SUSAN PHILIP
of up to 700 words on the topic of what they think the
Since February 2020, the news cycle and our lives have future of the world will hold in the post-Covid era.
been dominated by Covid-19. Infection figures are
constantly updated, new policies and processes have The competition attracted almost 700 entries, which
been put in place in practically all areas of life, politicians focused on topics ranging from how class differences will
all over the world hold forth on the effect of the pandemic affect people, to the technological innovations that will
on society and the economy, and everyone has become become necessities, to the emotional toll the pandemic
an armchair expert on infection vectors and vaccines. will continue to take, to utopian futures of food security, to
dystopian futures of planned cannibalism. Many of the
But have we given any thought to what ideas ordinary stories showed imagination combined with what seem to
people have about the future? What are their fears and be rather realistic projections into the future.
hopes? Do they envision a dystopia or a utopia? What do
they think are the real areas of concern that need to be The competition was a laudable effort to help people to
dealt with? In order to try to gauge a response to some of engage with and work through some of their central
these ideas, a microfiction creative writing competition on concerns about something which looks set to dominate
the topic of post-Covid futures was recently held. our lives for the foreseeable future.
"North Indian Overseas Talk by Dr
Labour Migration in Vandana

the Colonial Era" Saxena

BY DR. AKIKO SUGIYAMA

On November 20th, the English Department hosted Dr
Vandana Saxena (PhD, Uni of Delhi) for an online talk to
members of the department as well as students and
guests from other institutions. Dr Saxena spoke on the
topic of “Afterlives of Colonialism: The Case of Colonial
Romance”. The talk focused on romances set in the
colonial era (usually the early 20th century) such as Noel
Barber’s Tanamera, but brought the discussion up to date
by examining the recent resurgence in popularity of such
books, looking specifically at online reviews and
On December 11, 2020, the Department of History hosted responses on sites such as Goodreads.
its first webinar "North Indian Overseas Labour Migration
in the Colonial Era: Origins, Intermediaries, and the Role of The session was particularly significant for the
Trust" by Professor Crispin Bates, an esteemed historian of Department as Dr Saxena will be joining us as a member
India and the Indian Ocean region. Professor Bates is a of staff in 2021. Thanks to the pandemic, this was the first
Research Professor in South Asian and Indian Ocean time that most Department members had actually met her.
studies, Sunway University and a Professor of Modern and It was a pleasant encounter, and we look forward to
Contemporary South Asian History, University of working with Dr Saxena soon. Dr. Saxena has taught in
Edinburgh. The event was live-streamed from the India, Vietnam and Malaysia, and started her research in
Resource Centre (Library) of the Department of History the field of Young Adult literature, especially fantasy and
and was attended by over 40 guests from Malaysia and popular fiction before moving on to the field of Memory
beyond. Studies.

14 | Pulse @ FASS