The reading group first formed in June 2011 meets regularly on a monthly basis to examine texts and share ideas centred on the notion that the evolution and growth of any nation, state, or civilization cannot be understood solely in terms of internal factors alone without taking into account circulatory processes and interactions with other societies and cultures. As various parts of Asia become increasingly interdependent there is need for an approach that acknowledges inter-regional and inter-cultural connections as crucial influences on intra-regional and intra-cultural processes. The readings for the metacluster of Asian connections are selected for their focus on facilitating such a new non-essentialist and circulatory paradigm for society and knowledge.

PI: Prasenjit Duara