Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, May 28: After the appointment of Dr. Nilofar Khan as the first Women Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kashmir, two more women Professors today took charge of two more important academic centers of the Varsity.
In this regard, Prof Tabasum Firdous has taken charge as the first woman Director of the Centre of Central Asian Studies (CCAS), University of Kashmir, while at the same time, Dr. Shazia Manzoor took over as Coordinator of the varsity’s Centre for Women’s Studies and Research (CWSR).
While talking to Excelsior, Prof Tabasum said she was elated that she was going to head her parent department and that the excitement cannot be expressed in words.
“I have joined the department when I was nearly 22 and then I was appointed there for teaching temporarily; similarly then many things happened; in a way, I am a witness to the developments as well as the expansion of the department; I have seen it all,” she said.
Well before becoming the Director CCAS, Prof Tabasum held the charge of Director CWSR. She has earlier served as Proctor for 3 years from 2008 and also as Deputy Director UGC-HRDC KU from 2014 to 2016.
She said that the department was headed by many stalwarts and that she learned a lot from her teachers who guided and taught her since the time she joined it as a student.
Prof Tabasum holds an MA and Ph.D in Political Science and International Relations, respectively, from the University of Kashmir and her specialization areas are Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Iran.
Her books include Gendering Women in the 21st Century: Critical Perspectives 2021; Political Reforms in Uzbekistan, 2015; Peace Strategies in Central Asia, 2009; Centre Asia: Defence Strategies and Security Concerns, 2004 and Central Asia; Security and Strategic Imperatives, 2002.
Prof Tabasum is a Visiting Fellow, Centre of International Studies, Cambridge University, UK, Honorary Member IRSEA, Bucharest, Romania, and Member Eurasian Forum, Geneva, and has also worked in collaboration with Prof. James Mayall, Director, International Studies Centre, Cambridge University, U.K. and submitted a monograph entitled “Central Asian Security: India’s Concerns” in 2004.
Regarding Dr. Shazia, Assistant Professor CWSR, who took over as Coordinator of the varsity’s Centre for Women’s Studies and Research (CWSR), holds M.A. in Sociology and a Ph.D. in Women’s Studies from Advanced Centre for Women’s Studies, Aligarh Muslim University.
Earlier, she has worked as Research Officer at State Resource Centre for Women and is also the Warden of Rabia Basria Girls Hostel, Nodal Officer (DIQA), Department of Social Work, and the Member Disaster Management Committee University of Kashmir.
In her academic career so far, Dr. Shazia has presented around 30 research papers in national and international seminars and conferences within the country and is a life member of the National Association of Professional Social Workers of India (NAPSWI), All India Sociological Society (ISS), North West Indian Sociological Association (NWISA) and State Advisory Committee of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).
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