Centre for Himalayan and Mountain Studies

The Centre for Himalayan and Mountain Studies engages with the cultures, languages and civilizations that straddle seemingly impassable barriers, viz., the Himalayas.

By studying the interplays that have led to the emergence of complex communities, faiths, ideas and politics in the Himalayan region, the Centre foregrounds the contested nature of nations, of religions and ethnicities, of identities, of home and belonging, of homeland and citizenship.

Given the scale of arms proliferation, war and displacement around the world, the Centre has a particular focus on the non-citizens of the world - refugees, migrants, and exiles.

Taking a political ecology approach, the Centre studies the adaptation and resistance of mountain communities to the forces of globalisation, development and climate change.

The Centre lays particular emphasis on the study of the hybrid cultural expressions of Himalayan societies forged in cosmopolitan, pluralistic networks of trade and pilgrimage.