THE HUGH OWEN PRIZE -SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES ASSOCIATION Competition

THE HUGH OWEN PRIZE

Each year the South Asian Studies Association (SASA) offers the Hugh Owen prize for the best undergraduate essay in South Asian studies. For the purposes of the prize, the term ‘South Asia’ covers the nations of the Indian subcontinent and is taken to include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Essays are invited from all disciplines.

The prize is awarded to the best undergraduate essay on South Asia in any field written as part of an undergraduate course of study during the academic year of 2014.

The value of the prize is AUD $250.00

Hugh Owen was one of the key people behind the drive to establish a professional association of scholars in Australia and New Zealand concerned with the study of South Asia. Hugh undertook the difficult task of setting up the journal, South Asia, and established its pre-eminent standards, style and academic standing. Over the seven years of his editorship he succeeding in turning South Asia into a major journal concerned with South Asia studies outside the Indian subcontinent. While heavily involved in this work, Hugh was also a charismatic scholar and teacher and, at the University of Western Australia, was brilliantly successful in building up exciting undergraduate courses in the subject area and also in attracting an array of very bright and enthusiastic postgraduate students. This prize commemorates Hugh’s pursuit of excellence and his efforts to achieve that amongst his students. The prize was set up in 1988 following Hugh’s death and is funded by a grant from his estate through Mrs Terry Owen and with the continued support of the South Asian Studies Association of Australia.

Judges are not permitted to assess the essays of their own students.

Please forward entries (electronically) to Dr Meera Ashar (Secretary, SASA) at:

meera.ashar@anu.edu.au

Contributions must be received by the closing date: 19 December 2014

All entries must include a cover page indicating: (a) the title of the essay, (b) the name of the author, (c) the author’s contact details, including email address, and (d) the institutional affiliation of the author.