Announcement

Michael J. Hutt, Professor of Nepali and Himalayan Studies, at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, whose teaching and research career in the field of Nepal and Himalayan Studies spans over 30 years, took early retirement in late 2021.

Hutt is both an esteemed translator and renowned scholar of South Asian languages and cultures who describes Nepali literature as his ‘home ground’. From the popular Teach Yourself Nepali to his more recent collaborations with Dalit writers, he has consistently worked to make Nepali language and writing accessible to wider audiences.

Yet, Hutt’s contribution to regional studies extends well beyond the literary sphere. He was one of the first scholars to publish on the Bhutanese refugee crisis, establishing himself as an authority on the socio-political origins and impacts of the issue. He published extensively on Nepali politics before, during and following the Maoist conflict and has also engaged with the Nepali diaspora in India, Nepal Earthquake, the Nepali media, and Nepali art and architecture.

Beyond his immeasurable contribution to regional studies, Hutt has worked in collaboration with other scholars and trained graduate students working across a range of disciplines and thematic areas. His students have used a rich, contextualised engagement with South Asian languages and cultures to advance knowledge in law, public health, social anthropology, political science, and beyond.

To mark his retirement and to celebrate his critical role in advancing ‘Nepal and Himalayan Studies’, this symposium has been organised and curated by convenors Liana Chase, Stefanie Lotter, Jeevan Sharma & Mark Turin, and is being hosted by Social Science Baha under the aegis of its Nanda R. and Pamela L. Shrestha Fund for Honouring Nepal Scholars on 25 July 2023, a day before the Annual Kathmandu Conference on Nepal and the Himalaya commences.

The details of the symposium are as follows:

• The symposium will start at 8:45 am and will run till 5:30 pm, Nepal standard time.
• The symposium will be held at Hotel Shanker, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, and will also have the option for virtual (online) participation.

You may click on this link to view the abstracts of the papers that have been shortlisted for presentation during the symposium. The schedule for the symposium with details on panels and a roundtable follows this announcement below.

Registrations

Registration is compulsory to attend the symposium. All interested participants are required to register by filling up this form. As mentioned above, the symposium can be attended in person as well as online. In-person participants will be required to pay a registration fee which will be refunded to them in cash at the venue on the day of the symposium. This registration will entitle in-person participants entry to the symposium as well as lunch and tea/coffee served at the venue. Meanwhile, online participants must also fill the registration form which will help us share with them a joining link for the symposium.

Registration for the symposium will be open till 21 July 2023. Please also note that there will be no refunds for absentees or cancellations.

The registration fee in-person participants are required to pay is NPR 2,900, i.e., USD 22. The payment can be done via any of these five methods. Please remember to fill out the online registration form thereafter.

i) Debit/Credit Card: Payment can be done via debit and credit cards through the Himalayan Bank payment portal available here.
Note: Only debit/credit cards that allow conversion into USD during payment are accepted in this portal. NPR cardholders cannot use this system to make payments.

ii) Via Britain-Nepal Academic Council (BNAC), UK: For those in the United Kingdom who prefer to pay into the BNAC bank account, please write to the BNAC after Treasurer, Fraser Sugden at f.sugden@bham.ac.uk after making the payment in the account below.

Name: Britain-Nepal Academic Council
Account number: 60009713
Sort Code: 60-80-07
NatWest Bank

iii) In-person in Kathmandu: It is also possible to pay the registration fees in-person at these venues:

Social Science Baha
Battisputali 01-4572807, 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday

Mandala Book Point
Kantipath, 01-5327711/ 5349555, 11:30 am to 6 pm, Sunday to Friday

Vajra Books and Publications
Jyatha, 01-5320562, 11 am to 7 pm, Sunday to Friday

iv) eSewa: Those in Nepal may also use the following details to deposit the registration fees via the eSewa application:

eSewa ID: 9861802295

v) Direct Bank Deposit: Those in Nepal may also opt to do a direct bank deposit for payment of registration fees. Please use the details given below to make the transfer:

After making the payment, please confirm your registration by filling out this registration form. Please note that you will be required to upload a screenshot/image of the payment receipt in this form.
Please write to conference@soscbaha.org for any clarifications required.

Programme schedule