Ocean, Culture & Climate Justice – International Blue Humanities Conference at Akal University Concludes Successfully

The Department of English Studies at Akal University successfully organized a Two-Day International Conference titled:

“The Ocean Speaks Back: Ecological Resistance and Cultural Crisis in the South Asian Anthropocene”
📅 19–20 February 2026 | Hybrid Mode

The conference brought together eminent scholars, academicians, researchers, and students from national and international institutions to engage in meaningful dialogue on blue humanities, climate justice, oceanic imagination, and ecological resistance within the framework of the South Asian Anthropocene.

Inaugural Session – Setting the Academic Tone

The conference was formally inaugurated by G. S. Lamba, Dean of Academic Affairs, who highlighted the university’s commitment to interdisciplinary research, academic excellence, and global collaboration.

The inaugural session set the tone for two days of intellectually rich and critically engaged deliberations.

The Ocean as Archive and Crisis

At its core, the conference reimagined the ocean as:

• A cultural archive
• A site of ecological crisis
• A space of memory, protest, and resilience
• A lens to examine environmental challenges across coastal South Asia

Discussions drew from diverse frameworks including:

• Literature and ecocriticism
• Oral histories and indigenous knowledge systems
• Visual culture and film
• Policy discourse and environmental governance

The event fostered dynamic dialogue between the humanities, social sciences, and environmental studies — strengthening interdisciplinary scholarship.

Distinguished Keynote Speakers

The conference featured eminent keynote speakers who enriched the discourse:

• Vipan Pal Singh, Central University of Punjab — spoke on oceanic imagination, resilience, and climate justice.
• David Higgins, University of Leeds, UK — examined literary representations of coastal erosion and environmental precarity.
• Anupama Mohan, IIT Jodhpur — explored the ocean as a dynamic force in literature, history, and global systems.
• Vikas Sharma — reflected on maritime identity through literature, cinema, and cultural narratives.

Their insights connected ecological theory with lived coastal realities and global climate conversations.

Key Thematic Focus Areas

The conference addressed urgent and emerging themes, including:

• Blue economy and coastal livelihoods
• Climate justice and sustainability
• Intersections of class, caste, and gender in tidal ecologies
• Science and technology in envisioning future oceans
• Storms, cyclones, and disaster poetics
• Ethics, responsibility, and witnessing ecological crisis
• Cinematic and literary representations of maritime worlds

Critical conversations also foregrounded:

• Marine biodiversity
• Indigenous ecological knowledge
• Hydro-colonialism
• Sustainable governance

These discussions emphasized both theoretical depth and practical engagement.

Valedictory Session – Celebrating Academic Rigor

The valedictory session celebrated the conference’s academic rigor, interdisciplinary depth, and vibrant exchange between established scholars and emerging researchers.

The event significantly contributed to contemporary Blue Humanities scholarship, strengthened ecocritical discourse, and deepened engagement with the South Asian Anthropocene.

Advancing Research in Ecology, Culture, and Sustainability

Through initiatives like this, Akal University continues to nurture research that bridges culture, ecology, and sustainability — shaping thoughtful, critical responses to global environmental challenges.

The successful conclusion of this international conference reaffirms the university’s position as a hub for interdisciplinary environmental humanities research and academic excellence.