Delhi conference to address colonialism in Ireland and India

Jawaharlal Nehru University and Dublin City University, are pleased to announce a special conference at this exciting time of change and development for both Ireland and India, 

India, an Asian subcontinent with over a billion inhabitants, and Ireland, a small north Atlantic island of a mere 6 million, are two very different countries.

Nevertheless, they have much in their historical legacy that unites them: past experience of British colonialism; a recent struggle for national independence; substantial emigration; continued retention of English as an official language; a vibrant literary and cultural life where colonial influences exist side-by-side with older and deep-rooted indigenous forms of cultural expression.

This joint history has influenced their artistic, cultural, educational, legal, linguistic and media institutions.

With the number of Indian nationals living in Ireland almost doubling from 2006 to 2011, there is an increasing opportunity to explore the common heritage of both nations.

In recent times, both countries have developed a dynamic international profile, due in part to the creative engagement of their young, growing populations with new technologies.

Both countries are currently working hard to move away from traditional international perceptions associating them with poverty and underdevelopment and to promote a new, more vibrant image of themselves as key players in the globalised economy.

The three-day conference will take place on on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus in New Delhi on 25 – 27 January 2013. Researchers and scholars from DCU's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences will participate.