Shoolini TV :Report of the Virtual International Literature Seminar

Shoolini TV : Report of the international Virtual Symposium on Literature organised by the English Department of Shoolini University.

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Final Report of the International Seminar, 15-23 May 2020

The Dept of English, Shoolini University, Solan, successfully concluded a 9-day online International Literature Seminar in which 40 delegates from five different countries presented their papers. The main theme was “A Century in Retrospect: Literary Signposts and Watersheds of the Last Hundred Years.” Spread across six sessions, including an Inaugural and a Valedictory session, the seminar focused on different aspects of twentieth-century poetry, drama, fiction and theory.

The sessions were chaired by senior academicians like Profs Mukesh Williams from Soka University in Tokyo, Japan, Nasser Dasht Peyma from Azad University in Tabriz, Iran, Roshanlal Sharma from CUHP, Manpreet Kang from GGS Indraprastha University Delhi, Neelima Kanwar from HPU, and Dipankar Purkayastha from Assam University, Silchar. Begining with traditional texts and authors like WB Yeats and TS Eliot, the discussions cut across a vast literary spectrum to conclude with the contribution of Edward Said and Simone de Beauvoir. Overall, the discussions were animated and thought-provoking.

Welcoming the delegates at the Inauguration were MS Avnee Khosla, Vice-President of Shoolini, and Ms Nishtha Shukla Anand, a Trustee of the university. In the Valedictory session Prof Atul Khosla, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, interacted with the delegates and invited them to visit the campus in real time.

Talking about the outcomes of the seminar, Manju Jaidka, Professor of English at Shoolini, announced that as an offshoot of this literary event there were several workable ideas in the pipeline. The present event may be taken as the first in a series of similar events that would “Bring back Our Basics” (abbreviated to BOB) and help us re-vision the literary landscape that has been somewhat obfuscated by theoretical jargon over the past decades. Soon, perhaps, the department will hold another seminar on “Popular Forms of Literature” which would again focus more on texts than theory. Secondly, living in these difficult Covid 19 times, there is a plan to bring together stories of the Covid experience, the hardships, struggles, and also heroism that people have displayed in the these pandemic times. These stories would be compiled under the heading “Covid’s Metamorphosis” (reminiscent of Ovid’s Metamorphosis), implying that the Corona experience has brough about a radical change in human nature, in the way we look at life and the manner in which we will proceed from this point. Finally, there is a plan to host a major International conference in Shoolini before the year end, in collaboration with MELOW, an academic association that has been holding such conferences since 1998.

Approving of these ideas, Prof Atul Khosla assured the delegates that Shoolini would extend all possible help. He further invited the delegates to the campus whenever the lockdown is eased and interstate movement becomes possible again.

The seminar concluded successfully with all the delegates expressing their satisfaction with the literary roller-coaster ride experienced by them over the past nine days.

Valedictory Session

Valedictory Session

International Seminar

Department of English, Shoolini University

23 May 2020

          The valedictory session of  "A Nine-Day Wonder " Virtual International Literature Seminar organised by the Department of English, Shoolini University began on 23rd May 2020. Professor Manju Jaidka introduced Professor Atul Khosla, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Shoolini University and briefed everyone about the proceedings of the past few days of the seminar. She added, "COVID or No COVID, we will have seminars, we will have intellectual, academic activities and will carry on."

Professor Manju Jaidka informed the audience that this Virtual International Literature Seminar is going to be a part of a series of seminars called, 'BOB- Back to our basics.' She also expressed her desire to bring together a collection of stories related to COVID Crisis and experiences of people who have suffered, gone through, survived and grappled through this pandemic.

                A society headed by Professor Manju Jaidka has been conducting International Conferences since 1998, and she proudly announced that next such an event will be organised in collaboration with Shoolini University.

                 The chairpersons and the speakers of the seminar introduced themselves and their topics of discussion and expressed their gratitude to Shoolini University for organising such an illuminating event.

                  Professor Atul Khosla, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Shoolini University, welcomed everyone warmly. He shared his encounters with literature during his engineering days and how a lot of Indian authors influenced him. Professor proudly highlighted his affiliation with the Jaipur Literature Festival and also mentioned his favourite text 'A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry' and its influence on his life. He expressed his passion for bringing the best professors inspiring people to Shoolini University. Along with this, he also invited all the speakers to visit Shoolini University post the COVID crisis.

Professor Manju Jaidka informed the audience that more than 40 participants have presented their papers from different parts of the world in this seminar.  Further, she announced that the e-certificates will be given to all the participates.

                 "A Nine-Day Wonder" came to an end by bidding goodbyes, expressing gratitude and desires to meet again

With Warm Regards

Lata Negi

“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”

T.S. Eliot

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THE VIRTUAL SEMINAR

DAY-2

At the inauguration of the seminar on May 15th, Prof Mukesh William, from Soka University, Japan, spoke to the delegates, giving the overview of the 20th century. On the day-2 of the seminar, it was what we called the first day of the technical session, discussing about  "The Wasteland" and "The Outsider.

Alongside, some discussions over poetry also took place, this was a two hour long discussion, which was seen by a number of Literature enthusiasts, link to the same:

https://www.youtube.com/c/shooliniuniversityindia

There was a session organized, after this seminar, along with the students of  Shoolini University where also a feedback and discussion session took place, which gave an insight about these virtual seminars being helpful to the students.

We got some feedbacks on these seminars by professors of various universities, glimpses of which are as follows:

VIRTUAL SEMINAR BY SHOOLINI UNIVERSITY

DAY-1

Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh initiated its first virtual seminar on May 15'2020,towards their another significant step in virtual education, the English department of the university began an eight day long international literature seminar. The theme of the beginning seminar is "A century in retrospect: Literary signposts and Watersheds of the Last 100 Years".
about 40 speakers, including one eqach from Japan, Iran, Nepal and Bangladesh are participating in the seminar.
Vice-Chancellor Prof P.K Khosla inaugurated the session. Vice-President Shoolini University Ms Avnee Khosla welcomed the guests and appreciated the department’s effort in the tough period of the pandemic. On the occasion Ms Nishtha Anand, Trustee of Shoolini University said, “it’s a good initiative and more such seminars would be organised”.
The inaugural address was delivered by Mukesh Williams, Professor of English, Soka University, Japan and session was chaired by Dipankar Purkayastha Former Professor of English, Assam University, Silchar.
 
Dr Manju Jaidka, Prof of English at Shoolini University said " this is just one step forward in our attempt to take Shoolini to the world and bring the world to Shoolini".
The sessions would be held daily ‪from 2 pm to 4 pm‬ ‪from Monday 18th‬ to Friday 22.
Interested persons may see it livestreaming on Facebook page of Shoolini University and on this YouTube link https://www.youtube.com/c/shooliniuniversityindia
The first ever virtual seminar created a talk among students not only from the same niversity but from the literature enthusiats around different places.
Some newspapers covered the same news, glimpses of which are: