Bhubaneswar: Centre for the Study of World Literature (CSWL), IIIT Bhubaneswar, and Centre for Asian Studies, Sikshasandhan, organised an international seminar on the theme ‘Visions of the Future’.
Dr David Anshen, Associate Professor of Literatures and Cultural Studies at the University of Texas delivered an enriching talk on the topic. Initiating the discussion with the recent presidential election results in the US, Dr Anshen elaborated upon the role of literature and culture in constituting our collective imagination of the future. His research which deals with Marxism, cultural studies, film and literature, informed his analysis of contemporary popular culture. The talk was followed by a brief presentation on a similar theme by Dr Shikha Vats, Assistant Professor at IIIT-Bhubaneswar. Dr Vats responded to some of the arguments drawn from her own research on contemporary utopian and dystopian literature from the Indian subcontinent.
The seminar generated a lively discussion on the local and global future imaginaries in the present context.Professor Ashish Ghosh, Director IIIT-Bh expressed his pleasure on the occasion noting that vision for future is what shapes the society and personal life and communicated wishes for deliberations on Viksit Bharat. Dr Lipika Das (Coordinator, CSWL and Assistant Professor, IIIT-Bh) voiced the objective of CSWL, IIIT-Bh to initiate a robust tradition of discussing the idea of world and its futures.The audience at Sikshasandhan comprised of seasoned academicians, scholars, teachers and students. Professor Jatindra Nayak (Advisory Board Member, KLF and Mentor, CSWL) moderated the session and Dr Sangram Jena (Poet and Former Vice President, Odisha Sahitya Akademi) along with Dr Nibedita Mohanty (Eminent Historian) felicitated the guests of honour.
