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Summer Institute in Sikh Studies (Under Construction)

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Summer Institute in Sikh Studies

Guru Nanak and Nath Yogis

For over three decades the University of Michigan has offered regular courses in Sikh studies and Punjabi language on its central campus. The Summer Institute in Sikh Studies is designed to extend access to Sikh Studies over the summer period for students not enrolled at U-M. Starting in 2025, the Summer Institute will offer accredited online courses in Sikh studies with transferrable credit. The purpose of the Summer Institute in Sikh Studies is to connect student communities across Michigan and beyond, through a shared experience of cultural education in aspects of Sikh and Punjabi heritage traditions.  The course offered during the Summer 2025 semester is "Sikh Philosophy: Its Literature, Concepts and Applications," which is being offered at undergraduate and graduate level. The online component of this course is followed by a 1-week intensive in-person seminar on the U-M central campus, attendance for which is mandatory for graduate students but entirely optional for undergraduates.

Course Title: "Sikh Philosophy: Its Literature, Concepts, & Applications"

Poster for Sikh Studies Summer Institute
Course Description:
Beginning with an introduction to Sikh history and literature, the main focus of this course is to survey some of the key concepts of Sikh philosophy and spirituality (gurmat), investigating their relevance to our contemporary world, and asking a variety of questions. How do gurmat concepts inform the Sikh vision of life?  What can they tell us about the nature of reality? Or about the nature of the mind/self/ego? Specifically, we shall be looking at some of the terms used by the Sikh Gurus and ask how these terms address themes such as the nature of consciousness, theism/atheism, spirituality, death and rebirth, liberation, time/language, the nature of self and mind, and of course, ethics.
Asian Languages and Cultures
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