The newly appointed chair of Tamil studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough says he is looking forward to making the campus a global hub for Tamil research and scholarship.

“I‘m honoured to be appointed as the inaugural chair of Tamil studies,” says Sidharthan Maunaguru, who will start the role in May 2024.

“Scholars at U of T have already set a solid foundation for Tamil studies. As chair I will be building on these foundations while looking forward to expanding scholarship and research by bringing an interdisciplinary approach.”

The chair in Tamil studies will not only support academic programming and research in Tamil language and history, it will also help preserve its rich culture for future generations.

Maunaguru is currently an associate professor in the department of sociology and anthropology, and South Asian studies program, at National University of Singapore. He is a renowned expert on global Tamil communities whose research intersects with anthropology, history and philosophy. His 2019 book Marrying for a Future: Transnational Sri Lankan Tamil Marriages in the Shadow of War explored how marriage emerged as an important means of building alliances between dispersed segments of Tamil communities across the globe.

He hopes to foster Tamil scholarship, teaching and research by taking a collective approach.

“My vision is to ground, create and promote thriving Tamil scholarships and research on the ethos of inclusiveness and diversity that will connect and bring together Tamil scholarships from communities across the world into Canada,” he says.

“I believe U of T Scarborough will emerge as a global hub for collaborating, experimenting and creating discussions on new directions for Tamil studies.”