From Raj Kapoor to Aamir Khan: Understanding Bollywood Stars as Cultural Diplomats
Swapnil Rai
January 20, 2025
In this issue of India in Transition, Swapnil Rai (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor) argues that even though diplomacy has generally been thought of as something controlled by the government, Bollywood stars have historically been critical to Indian cultural diplomacy beyond the nation state and have boosted India's soft power internationally, helping us understand the role of "non-state" actors in cultural diplomacy.
Meet CASI Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Matt Barlow (Video)
Matt Barlow is a cultural anthropologist interested in how situated socio-ecological imaginaries influence responses to planetary crises. His doctoral research project demonstrated how different understandings of monsoonal wetness influenced approaches to waste infrastructure in Kochi, India. As Climate Postdoctoral Research Fellow at CASI, Matt is working on his first book titled Weathering Waste, while also contributing to Nikhil Anand's project "Stories of Climate Action: Negotiating Planning in Mumbai's Wetscapes."
CASI Student Programs
LAST CHANCE TO APPLY: DEADLINE TOMORROW, JANUARY 21, 2025, 11:59 EST
CASI Summer 2025 Internships in India! CASI offers fully-funded 8-10 week summer internship opportunities to Penn students eager to explore modern India!
2025 Penn Summer Opportunities and Funding Resources Fair, co-sponsored by the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF) and Penn Career Services. For Penn undergraduate and graduate students, please visit the CASI table at the CURF Fair to learn about funding for summer research in India. Thursday, January 23, 2025, 2:30-4:30pm in the Hall of Flags, Houston Hall.
Read all about Summer Interns and Summer Research Grant recipients' experiences on the CASI Student Programs Blog!
Questions about CASI Student Programs?
Please contact Juni Bahuguna (Assistant Director, Student & Visitor Programs) at junib@sas.upenn.edu
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