The Centre for India and South Asia Research (CISAR) held a variety of talks, lectures, and screenings in the 2024-25 academic year—with themes ranging from Hindustani Classical music to media freedom in South Asia.
One of the highlights of the programming this year was an event featuring Pakistani-American musician Ali Sethi. In collaboration with IAR, UBC Asian Studies and the Chan Centre, CISAR hosted the acclaimed artist for a special evening of conversation and music ahead of his performance at the Chan Centre. Equal parts reflective, educational, and hilarious, Ali’s remarks touched on the unique qualities of Indian classical music and his personal journey. Through insightful questions from the discussants—Professor Naveena Naqvi, Professor Kiran Sunar and Arafat Safdar—he also explored the various transgressive and transcendent roles music plays in Pakistani society. The event was made extra special by students from the student society Sargam UBC who presented an acoustic rendering of one of Ali’s songs, the global-hit single “Pasoori”.
Naveena Naqvi Introduces Ali Sethi to the packed room (image credits: Si Ming Zheng)
L to R: Arafat Safdar, Kiran Sunar, Naveena Naqvi and Ali Sethi (image credits: Si Ming Zheng)
Students from Sargam performing Pasoori ( (image credits: Si Ming Zheng)
Students from Sargam performing Pasoori (image credits: Si Ming Zheng)
Students from Sargam performing Pasoori (image credits: Si Ming Zheng)
Ali Sethi sharing his journey of learning Hindustani classical music. (image credits: Si Ming Zheng)
In Spring 2025, CISAR also organized a talk by academic Rhys Machold. Drawing on his book project, Dr. Machold spoke about the idea of homeland security that originated in the Zionist colonization of Palestine and how Israel’s homeland security industry attempted to sell its technologies and services to India in the course of the global ‘war on terror’. Following the talk, Machold and the audience discussed multiple questions about the details of his field work as well as the evolving relationship between Israel and India.
Students and Faculty at Dr. Macholds talk
Rhys Machold presents his research on "Fabricating Homeland Security"
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