Manju Jaidka
Encyclopedia
Manju Jaidka is a Professor
of English
at the Panjab University, Chandigarh
, in India
. She is regarded as a leading Indian academic, best known for her contribution to American Studies in India. She is the author of critical books regarded as standard texts in the field and regards her teaching job as her most important work. One of her main concerns is to forge an international network of like-minded academics for the exchange of scholarship.
District, Haryana
, to Bhim Sain and Padma Tyagi, Manju Jaidka spent much of her childhood in Ambala
where she studied in Convent of Jesus and Mary. Later, she moved with her parents to Secunderabad
and finished High School from St. Anne’s. For her graduation she enrolled in Govt. College for Women, Chandigarh, and her postgraduation and doctoral degrees were obtained from Panjab University’s Department of English. Jaidka lives in Chandigarh with her husband and three children.
One of her noteworthy achievements is the establishment of a leading academic organization in India which began as the India Chapter of the US-based MELUS, the Society for the Study of the Multi-ethnic Literature of the United States, and later expanded into MELOW, the Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the World. This Society, which comprises about two hundred teachers and scholars from across India, is run with the help of her colleagues at the English Department, Panjab University, currently chaired by Professor Anil Raina.
Creative Writing
Spots of Time
This is a novel published in October 2007. Spots of Time, interspersed with a sprinkling of verse,
traces the interweaving stories of these two women, moving back and forth in time, progressing
through flashbacks and reminiscences. Tangential characters emerge from the margins, come to the
foreground with their own stories, and then recede. As the story unfolds, the various pieces of the
collage are linked together by the narratorial consciousness that observes, assimilates and records
a myriad different experiences, ranging from professional hazards in an academic environment to more
agonizing issues of parenting a special child while coping with personal aspirations and ambitions.
The narratology
is metafiction
al; the master narrative holds together several embedded little
stories and yet is a coherent whole, inlaid with literary allusions, traversing an extensive
terrain, from a tiny colony of the City Beautiful
nestling in the Shivalik foothills to far-off
places across vast oceanic distances. More information is available on Jaidka's blog.
The Seduction and Betrayal of Cat Whiskers
This is a play – an academic satire that winds in and out through the corridors of an institution of
higher learning, uses the comic lens to look at some of the flaws in the academia. What happens, for
instance, behind the scenes in a major university? Who are the power brokers? What are the politics
that operate in the system and at what different levels? How are appointments and promotions made?
Is there any fair-play or justice? These are some of the questions raised in this play. It would not
be an exaggeration to say that the problems highlighted here are found on almost all campuses, in
India and abroad.
The aim is not to target all academics, universities and colleges as corrupt but to take a peek at
their not-so-pleasant side which, with a little effort and commitment, may be cured if we have the
will to do so. More information is available on Jaidka's blog.
in 1981 and since then has been engaged in several postdoctoral research projects. Among other subjects, she has worked on twentieth-century British
and American Poetry, Diasporic Writing from India, Narratives and Narratology
, and Contemporary World Literature. She has also supervised several M.Phil. and Ph.D. dissertations.
Her earlier international engagements are listed here:
International speaking engagements:
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
at the Panjab University, Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
, in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. She is regarded as a leading Indian academic, best known for her contribution to American Studies in India. She is the author of critical books regarded as standard texts in the field and regards her teaching job as her most important work. One of her main concerns is to forge an international network of like-minded academics for the exchange of scholarship.
Biography
Born in Hathwala, a small village in KarnalKarnal
Karnal is an important city and the headquarters of Karnal District in the Indian state of Haryana.Karnal is said to have been founded by the Kauravas in the Mahabharata era for the king Karna, a mythological hero and a key figure in the epic tale...
District, Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, to Bhim Sain and Padma Tyagi, Manju Jaidka spent much of her childhood in Ambala
Ambala
Ambala is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border of the states of Haryana and Punjab in India. Politically; Ambala has two sub-areas: Ambala Cantt and Ambala City, approximately 3 kilometers apart from each other...
where she studied in Convent of Jesus and Mary. Later, she moved with her parents to Secunderabad
Secunderabad
Secunderabad popularly known as the twin city of Hyderabad is located in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh north of Hyderabad. Named after Sikandar Jah, the third Nizam of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, Secunderabad was founded in 1806 AD as a British cantonment...
and finished High School from St. Anne’s. For her graduation she enrolled in Govt. College for Women, Chandigarh, and her postgraduation and doctoral degrees were obtained from Panjab University’s Department of English. Jaidka lives in Chandigarh with her husband and three children.
One of her noteworthy achievements is the establishment of a leading academic organization in India which began as the India Chapter of the US-based MELUS, the Society for the Study of the Multi-ethnic Literature of the United States, and later expanded into MELOW, the Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the World. This Society, which comprises about two hundred teachers and scholars from across India, is run with the help of her colleagues at the English Department, Panjab University, currently chaired by Professor Anil Raina.
Books
Academic:- Landmarks of American Literature. New Delhi:Prestige Press, 2007.
- Politics of Location in the Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the Americas, co-edited with Anil Raina (Chandigarh: Arun Publishing House, 2003).
- Text Book entitled An Annotated Anthology of English and American Poetry for MA (University Grants CommissionUniversity Grants Commission (India)The University Grants Commission of India is a statutory organisation set up by Union government in 1956, for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education. It provides recognition for universities in India, and provides funds for government-recognised...
Text Book Award). Chandigarh: Panjab University Publication Bureau, 2002. - Cross-Cultural Transactions in Multi-Ethnic Literatures of America, eds. Anil Raina, Manju Jaidka, Somdatta Mandal and Vijay Kumar Sharma. New Delhi:Prestige Press, 2002
- From Slant to Straight: Recent Trends in Women's Poetry. New Delhi: Prestige Publishers, 2000.
- T. S. Eliot's Use of Popular Sources (Mellen Press, US, 1997). This was her Post-Doctoral Fulbright project for which research was carried out at the Houghton (Harvard University, Cambridge, MA), Beinecke (Yale), Harry Ramson Centre (Austin, Texas), and New York Public Library.
- Tiresias and Other Masks: English and American Poetry after The Waste Land. Chandigarh: Arun Publishing House, 1994.
- Confession and Beyond: The Poetry of Sylvia Plath. Chandigarh: Arun Publishing House, 1992.
Creative Writing
- Novel: Spots of Time: A Novel. Chandigarh: Graphit India Oct 2007
- Play: The Seduction and Betrayal of Cat Whiskers: An Academic Satire. Chandigarh: Graphit India Oct 2007.
Spots of Time
This is a novel published in October 2007. Spots of Time, interspersed with a sprinkling of verse,
traces the interweaving stories of these two women, moving back and forth in time, progressing
through flashbacks and reminiscences. Tangential characters emerge from the margins, come to the
foreground with their own stories, and then recede. As the story unfolds, the various pieces of the
collage are linked together by the narratorial consciousness that observes, assimilates and records
a myriad different experiences, ranging from professional hazards in an academic environment to more
agonizing issues of parenting a special child while coping with personal aspirations and ambitions.
The narratology
Narratology
Narratology denotes both the theory and the study of narrative and narrative structure and the ways that these affect our perception. While in principle the word may refer to any systematic study of narrative, in practice its usage is rather more restricted. It is an anglicisation of French...
is metafiction
Metafiction
Metafiction, also known as Romantic irony in the context of Romantic works of literature, is a type of fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction, exposing the fictional illusion...
al; the master narrative holds together several embedded little
stories and yet is a coherent whole, inlaid with literary allusions, traversing an extensive
terrain, from a tiny colony of the City Beautiful
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
nestling in the Shivalik foothills to far-off
places across vast oceanic distances. More information is available on Jaidka's blog.
The Seduction and Betrayal of Cat Whiskers
This is a play – an academic satire that winds in and out through the corridors of an institution of
higher learning, uses the comic lens to look at some of the flaws in the academia. What happens, for
instance, behind the scenes in a major university? Who are the power brokers? What are the politics
that operate in the system and at what different levels? How are appointments and promotions made?
Is there any fair-play or justice? These are some of the questions raised in this play. It would not
be an exaggeration to say that the problems highlighted here are found on almost all campuses, in
India and abroad.
The aim is not to target all academics, universities and colleges as corrupt but to take a peek at
their not-so-pleasant side which, with a little effort and commitment, may be cured if we have the
will to do so. More information is available on Jaidka's blog.
Research projects
Jaidka wrote her doctoral dissertation on the poetry of Sylvia PlathSylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. Born in Massachusetts, she studied at Smith College and Newnham College, Cambridge before receiving acclaim as a professional poet and writer...
in 1981 and since then has been engaged in several postdoctoral research projects. Among other subjects, she has worked on twentieth-century British
British poetry
British poetry is a term rarely used, as almost all poets of the British world are clearly identified with one of the various nations within those areas....
and American Poetry, Diasporic Writing from India, Narratives and Narratology
Narratology
Narratology denotes both the theory and the study of narrative and narrative structure and the ways that these affect our perception. While in principle the word may refer to any systematic study of narrative, in practice its usage is rather more restricted. It is an anglicisation of French...
, and Contemporary World Literature. She has also supervised several M.Phil. and Ph.D. dissertations.
International Awards/Honours/Distinctions
- Most recently, in March – April 2008, Jaidka was awarded the Lillian Robinson Fellowship by the Simone de BeauvoirSimone de BeauvoirSimone-Ernestine-Lucie-Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir, often shortened to Simone de Beauvoir , was a French existentialist philosopher, public intellectual, and social theorist. She wrote novels, essays, biographies, an autobiography in several volumes, and monographs on philosophy, politics, and...
Institute for Feminist Studies, Concordia University, MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Her earlier international engagements are listed here:
- Nov – Dec 2006: Visiting Academic, Rothermere American Institute, Oxford University, UK.
- 2005-07: Member, Executive Council of the International American Studies Association (IASA).
- 1998-99: International Fellowship, Rockefeller FoundationRockefeller FoundationThe Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
, at the International Forum for US Studies, University of IowaUniversity of IowaThe University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
. - 1996, April–May: Fellowship, Salzburg Seminar Workshop on “Themes in Contemporary American LiteratureAmerican literatureAmerican literature is the written or literary work produced in the area of the United States and its preceding colonies. For more specific discussions of poetry and theater, see Poetry of the United States and Theater in the United States. During its early history, America was a series of British...
” (April 1996) sponsored by USIA, WashingtonWashington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. - 1995, September–October: Resident Fellowship, BellagioBellagioBellagio is a comune in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located on Lake Como. It has long been famous for its setting at the intersection of the three branches of the Y-shaped lake, which is also known as Lario....
Study and Conference Center (sponsored by the Rockefeller FoundationRockefeller FoundationThe Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
), ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. - 1991-92: Post-Doctoral Fulbright Research GrantRockefeller FoundationThe Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
, Harvard and Yale Universities, US. - Manju Jaidka is on the Editorial Boards of international journals published in the US and UK.
Awards/Distinctions/Positions held in India
- June 2008 onward: Chairperson of Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi. http://chandigarhsahityaakademi.blogspot.com/
- 1998- to date: Chief functionary of MELUS-India (The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States, India Chapter) and MELOW (The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the World).
- 1998-2000: Member, Board of Directors, American Studies Research Centre, Hyderabad.
- 1996-98: Member, Board of Directors and Executive Committee of ASRC, Hyderabad.
- 1994: University Grants CommissionUniversity Grants Commission (India)The University Grants Commission of India is a statutory organisation set up by Union government in 1956, for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education. It provides recognition for universities in India, and provides funds for government-recognised...
Text Book Award. - 1991, March: Olive I. Reddick (Sr.) Award for the best literature paper presented at the annual conference of the Indian Association for American Studies, Bombay.
- 1989, August: William Mulder Research Grant from ASRC, Hyderabad.
Invited talks
- Jaidka has been an invited plenary/ keynote speaker at numerous conferences, in India and abroad.
International speaking engagements:
- Jaidka has most recently delivered a public lecture in CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, at Concordia University, MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. - In the United States she visited the U of CaliforniaUniversity of CaliforniaThe University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
in November 2007 and lectured at FresnoFresnoFresno is the fifth largest city in California.Fresno may also refer to:-Places:Colombia* Fresno, TolimaSpain* Fresno, a ghost village in Nidáliga, Valle de Sedano, Burgos* Aldea del Fresno, Madrid* Fresno de la Vega, Ribera del Esla, León...
, IrvineIrvine, CaliforniaIrvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
, RiversideRiverside, CaliforniaRiverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
and Cupertino. In April 2006 she attended a conference at Ann Arbor and also lectured at University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, and Dickinson CollegeDickinson CollegeDickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly...
, CarlisleCarlisle, PennsylvaniaCarlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is traditionally pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2010 census, the borough...
, PAPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. In 2004 she was a resource person at the American Studies Institiute at Dartmouth. She has also delivered invited lectures at SUNY Buffalo, University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, University of VermontUniversity of VermontThe University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
, University of MiamiUniversity of MiamiThe University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, University of PittsburghUniversity of PittsburghThe University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, University of ChicagoUniversity of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, Loyola University ChicagoLoyola University ChicagoLoyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
, University of CincinnatiUniversity of CincinnatiThe University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
, Denver, BoulderBoulder, ColoradoBoulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
– COColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, MITMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyThe Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
– BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Louisville (KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
), Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
(CambridgeCambridge, MassachusettsCambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, MAMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
), and University of IowaUniversity of IowaThe University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
(US); - In UK has delivered lectures at OxfordOxfordThe city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Nottingham TrentUniversity of NottinghamThe University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
, NorthamptonNorthamptonNorthampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and ColchesterColchesterColchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the... - In Europe at HeidelbergHeidelberg-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
(GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), SalzburgSalzburg-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
(AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
), BellagioBellagioBellagio is a comune in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located on Lake Como. It has long been famous for its setting at the intersection of the three branches of the Y-shaped lake, which is also known as Lario....
(ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
); and at DhakaDhakaDhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
in BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. - She has also presented papers at international conferences like the ALA, NEMLA, MLAModern Language AssociationThe Modern Language Association of America is the principal professional association in the United States for scholars of language and literature...
and the PCA.