May 17, 2022 (Vancouver, BC) – The Guru Nanak Institute of Global Studies (GNI) officially launched providing a world-class infrastructure and academic environment for research and teaching on Sikh philosophy, history, literature, culture, and devotional music in an interdisciplinary manner. GNI is a PTIB (Private Training Institution Branch) approved, non-profit educational and research institute founded in 2021 to commemorate Guru Nanak’s 550th anniversary. The name Guru Nanak (the revealer of Sikhi) is synonymous with equality, equity, justice, compassion, open dialogue, spiritual revolution, life-long learning, and emancipatory teaching.
GNI is launching with three programs: 1) Sikh Studies Diploma, 2) Punjabi Studies Certificate, and 3) Gurmat Music Diploma, and applications for all these programs are now open. These programs are truly the first of their kind across North America and supported by GNI’s faculty of globally based university professors from a variety of fields and disciplines, with strong representation from Canadian post-secondary institutions, along with an academic board of educators and researchers from Canada, the USA, the UK and India. At this point all programs will be administered in an online learning environment.
Embracing the principles of Guru Nanak, GNI is committed to celebrating cultural diversity and a spirit of co-existence through research, education and service. Not exclusive to the Sikh community, GNI welcomes people from all communities, regardless of their background, religion or beliefs. They are also committed to being cost-effective with an incredibly accessible pricing model compared to similar private institutes and by providing financial aid by way of scholarships and bursaries to deserving students, looking at not only academic achievements but family income, community involvement and sports/other personal achievements. GNI will expand their program offerings to include graduate studies and is already in the process of finalizing MOU’s with partner universities.
Board Chair, Gian Singh Sandhu explained, “We are committed to promoting our values of service to humanity, cross-cultural understanding, the lifelong pursuit of learning, critical thinking, and diversity in all its forms. We will ensure equal and open access to all prospective students by alleviating funding and other financial barriers. We firmly believe that no student should be denied education due to a lack of financial means and to support this philosophy we have a very liberal scholarship and bursary policy.”
Former Deputy Minister of Education, David Byng, stated, “I’m very excited to support the Guru Nanak Institute of Global Studies joining the ranks of British Columbia’s post-secondary sector. As our province becomes a more diverse and inclusive society, GNI will be a tremendous resource to both local and global learners and is a fantastic addition to the post-secondary landscape.”
“I really appreciate that GNI’s focus is on providing an authentic education, sharing the ethos of Sikhi, versus focusing on a religious bias. This is incredibly meaningful for me, as I want to study the faith from an academic standpoint. I also really appreciate that they will be discussing issues facing the diaspora, instead of limiting the discussion to the home country of Sikhism, shared post-secondary student Paramvir Singh.
Applications for all programs are now open, prospective students can learn more about the courses and apply at: https://www.gurunanakinstitute.ca/courses. For more information, please visit www.gurunanakinstitute.ca.
About Guru Nanak Institute of Global Studies:
Founded in 2021 to commemorate Guru Nanak’s 550th anniversary by prominent members of the Canadian Sikh community, the Guru Nanak Institute is a PTIB (Private Training Institution Branch) approved, non-profit education and research institute. The name Guru Nanak (the revealer of Sikhi) is synonymous with equality, equity, justice, compassion, open dialogue, spiritual revolution, life-long learning, and emancipatory teaching. Today, the global Sikh population exceeds 28 million (the fifth largest religious faith), of which over 750,000 call Canada home. Embracing those same principles, GNI is committed to celebrating cultural diversity and a spirit of co-existence through research, education and service. GNI welcomes people from all communities, regardless of their background, religion or beliefs.
About the Programs:
The Sikh Studies Diploma is the first of its kind in Canada. Although many post-secondary institutions provide Asian Studies with Sikh studies encompassed within that, this program is specifically focused on Sikhism from an academic perspective, versus a religious one. Students become acquainted with Sikh religious, moral, and social values and attain a critical appreciation for theorizing religion and have a solid understanding of the Sikh ethos and how they connect with social justice.
The Gurmat Music Diploma is also the first of its kind in Canada. This program has a series of courses to prepare students for a career/path towards Sikh music’s Shabad Keertan (spiritual hymn singing) tradition, providing a combination of theory and practical performance examinations. The courses will allow students an option to take vocal, instrumental (stringed instruments), or percussion (Tabla/Jodi) streams.
