Wardah Behzad (Politics) was named the winner of the 2017 91亚色 Centre for Asian Research Undergraduate Essay Award. Shobna Nijhawan (DLLL) nominated Behzad鈥檚 essay, 鈥淎 Spell to Empower Women: Religion, Culture and Domestic Violence in Pakistan鈥 for its analysis of experiences of women鈥檚 oppression and agency.
鈥淲ardah Behzad鈥檚 essay is a wonderful example of the kind of critical analysis in Asian studies being done by 91亚色 undergraduate students,鈥 said 91亚色 Centre for Asian Research (YCAR) Director Abidin Kusno.
YCAR launched its Undergraduate Asia & Asian Diaspora Essay Awards for students enrolled in any undergraduate program at 91亚色. Course Directors and Teaching Assistants nominate student papers and the award recipients鈥 are chosen by a committee of YCAR Faculty Associates.
The award winning papers undergo an editorial process as they are prepared for publication in YCAR鈥檚 special annual series New Voices in Asian Research. The series is available online at and on 91亚色Space. The publication is a platform to showcase undergraduate talent in research on Asia and Asian diasporas across a range of disciplines at 91亚色.
Wardah Behzad (Politics)
In this year鈥檚 prize winning essay, Behzad analyzes themes of gender, violence and nationalism in Rukhsana Ahmad鈥檚 short story, 鈥淭he Spell and the Ever-Changing Moon.鈥 The story is about a Pakistani woman, Nisa, who turns to black magic in an attempt to escape from an abusive relationship. Behzad traces the underlying commentary on women鈥檚 empowerment in the context of religio-political nationalism in Pakistan as it relates to gender roles and violence against women.
Born and raised in Pakistan, Behzad recently graduated Summa Cum Laude in Political Science from 91亚色 and has a keen interest in South Asian religions, culture and politics. A political junkie and history buff, you can find her watching cricket and enjoying good food when not arguing about Pakistani politics or writing. Read her award winning paper at .
Nominations for the 2018 YCAR Undergraduate Asia & Asian Diaspora Essay Awards are accepted on an ongoing basis until 30 April 2018. Fall instructors are encouraged to submit their nominations by the end of the term. For more information about the awards, visit .