About the Conference

Understanding the Legacy and Challenges of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS)

Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) represent a vast and rich intellectual tradition developed over millennia, encompassing diverse fields such as epistemology, engineering sciences, and the natural world. These systems provide profound insights into human understanding, nature, and the pursuit of knowledge. However, their value has often been undermined due to the dominance of European cultural experiences in shaping contemporary knowledge systems. This has led to the marginalization of IKS, discouraging young scholars from pursuing it as a field of inquiry. The limited work is frequently misunderstood, misrepresented, or relegated to the periphery, resulting in a significant intellectual loss for humanity. Without proper acknowledgment, the world continues to be deprived of this body of elegant literature capable of advancing theoretical and applied knowledge.

A Resurgence in IKS and the Need for Decolonial Perspectives

As India’s global prominence grows, there has been a noticeable resurgence of interest in IKS, with scholars and practitioners striving to rediscover and engage with these knowledge systems. This renewed focus is welcome but comes with its challenges, particularly the tendency to force-fit IKS within dominant Western frameworks that do not fully capture its cultural essence or intellectual richness. The absence of an epistemic understanding rooted in India’s civilizational experiences further complicates this process. To ensure that this resurgence stays true to its purpose, it is imperative to adopt decolonial approaches that honor the integrity of IKS. By doing so, a robust body of knowledge can be built, offering the world innovative perspectives uniquely grounded in Indian traditions.

Vision and Goals of the Annual Academic Conference on IKS

The Annual Academic Conference on IKS aims to address these challenges by fostering serious academic engagement with Indian Knowledge Systems. It seeks to provide an international platform for the presentation and dissemination of cutting-edge research, building a community of scholars who share a passion for this field. The conference aspires to nurture the next generation of IKS researchers while celebrating the contributions of senior academics, thereby encouraging meaningful engagement with their work. Additionally, it aims to create opportunities for collaboration among stakeholders from academia, industry, government, and civil society. By promoting rigorous, peer-reviewed research and fostering diverse networks, the conference hopes to establish a solid intellectual foundation for IKS in the global academic landscape.

Conference Objectives

Recognize rich and rigorous scholarship in the IKS domain.
Provide a forum for academics, researchers, and practitioners to present their scholarship and engage in intellectual dialogue surrounding IKS.
Encourage academic research and publication in the field of IKS.
Help develop new frameworks, theories, and creative applications in the IKS domain to address contemporary challenges.
Encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration to bridge the gap between traditional IKS and contemporary fields.
Offer a platform for collaborations and joint research projects in IKS from a range of stakeholders.
Cultivate a new generation of scholars in IKS and develop their networks with senior mentors.

Conference Theme

The overarching aim of the Conference is to deliberate on the sensitive and crucial task of strategically managing the resurgence of IKS, and pave way for its meaningful rise. Said differently, the focus is on how we must imagine and create the early childhood of the IKS ecosystem that is now being reborn.

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Conference Subtheme

We believe that IKS is inherently a multidisciplinary approach navigating across a range of other disciplines. The effort of the Conference will be developing new thinking regarding discourses of IKS.

While not at all exhaustive, we divide the overarching theme into various aspects/topics under three broad heads:

Everyday Practices and Intellectual Traditions

Ancient Indian “Textual” tradition
Performative Traditions of India and their Contemporaneity
Intellectual Traditions of Literature
Aadhyatmic Traditions and Their Contemporaneity
Epistemology in Indic Intellectual Tradition
Databases and Compilations of Indian Intellectual Thought
Practices in Indian Science & Technology
Pedagogical approaches for modern universities

Theory and (Re)building Frameworks

History v. Itihas
Theorizing Economics, Management & Finance
IKS Frameworks for Sociology & Political Science debates
Recasting Management Theories through IKS
A new Framework for Sustainability
How to think about Heritage Science
Western Religious Thought and Indic Cultures
Alternative Frameworks for doing Comparative Studies
Policy Frameworks (is there an Indian public policy?)
Schools of Thought in Indian Philosophy and Western political philosophy
Mapping Cultural Differences through Theory

Multidisciplinary Studies of IKS

Vedic Philosophy & Epistemology (Darshanas, Upanishads, Prasthana Trayi, Yoga)
Linguistics & NLP (Siksha, Vyakaranam, Chandas, Nirukta, Mimamsa, Mantra Shastra)
Culinary Sciences (Paka sastra, Vrikshaayurveda, Dravya Vijnana, Ayurvediya Kalas, Siddha)
Agricultural Science (Krushi Vijnana, Vriksha-Ayurveda)
Performing Arts (Natya Sastra, Gandharva Kalas, Alankara Sastra, Sahitya/Kavya, Itihasa,
Purana, Alankaara sastra, Alankaara kala, Yoga, Tantra)
Engineering Sciences (Yantra Kala, Rasa shastra, Dhaatu Shastra, Vaastu Shastra, Shilpa sastra,
Tantra, Shulba Sutras, Rasayana sastra, Dhaatu Sastra)