Professor Jasjit Singh

Profile

I am based at the University of Leeds where I am Professor of Religion and Global Engagement in the School of Philosophy, Religion and the History of Science (PRHS). My research focuses on the religious and cultural lives of South Asians in Britain, with a particular focus on ‘Religious and Cultural transmission’ and on the representation of religious minorities.

I completed my PhD (recognised for research excellence) in 2012 in the department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Leeds where my research was supervised by Prof. Kim Knott and Dr Sean McLoughlin. My PhD was funded through a Collaborative Studentship as part of the AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society programme in conjunction with the British Educational and Cultural Association of Sikhs (BECAS), an organisation formed 25 years ago to oversee the educational interests of Sikh children and young people.

Since completing my doctorate in 2012 I have actively sought to enhance my profile not only as a leading researcher and educator, but also as an engaged academic and member of the PRHS team at Leeds. As my profile in academia has grown I have held a number of internal and external posts, and have taken a leading role in local, national and international initiatives.

I am regarded as an innovator in impact related work, evidenced by REF2021 case study which engaged policy makers, media and community organisations. I have engaged with policy makers in various governments around the world and with community organisations internationally including in the UK, Canada and Singapore. My essay ‘Not ‘hard to reach’ but ‘hardly reached’ which was selected as a VC essay outlines much of my community engagement work. I have been invited by UKRI to speak to research council staff about engagement with minority ethnic communities and organisations (Jan 2018) and co-authored a community toolkit for engaging the public with academic research.

I have also contributed to the organisation of a number of conferences including as Program Chair for the largest sociology of religion conference in Europe, the International Society for the Sociology of Religion (ISSR) conference in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (2015) with over 500 delegates. I also co-organised the annual BSA Sociology of Religion Study Group (SOCREL) conference at the University of Leeds (2017) and am on the organising committee of the annual International Sikh Research Conference which takes place at the University of Warwick.

In 2023 I was appointed as the inaugural Visiting Professor in Sikh Studies at the National University of Singapore and am currently co-chair of the AAR Sikh Studies Unit.

Responsibilities

• Pro Dean International, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures

Research interests

My research focuses on processes of religious and cultural transmission in the lives of Sikhs in diaspora. To what extent are they influenced by migration, ethnicity and minority status?  And, situated as they are in western modernity, how far do they experience a ‘turn to the self’ and manage individual authority whilst also sustaining membership of a religious community?

I am currently examining the impact of the digital work on the Sikh tradition. How does Sikh interaction with digital media impact religious authority, community dynamics, and identity formation and how does this influence contemporary Sikh belief and practice? 

I have established a strong publication profile in religious studies and diaspora studies through articles in field-leading journals and have also published book chapters in high quality monographs. Building on these publications and following a successful funding awards I have implemented innovative research and impact activities and to develop my engagement skills with a variety of different audiences including media organisations, policy makers and the Sikh community.  

Having developed a national and international profile as a ‘specialist’ on Sikhs in diaspora, my expertise has also been called on by statutory bodies, most recently by legal firms dealing with asylum cases relating to Afghan Sikhs (January 2018–Present). Indeed, through this consultancy I identified that the ‘Country Policy and Information Note, Afghanistan: Hindus and Sikhs’ (Feb 2017) published by the Home Office included inaccurate information on the languages spoken by Afghan Sikhs. Having raised this issue with the Home Office through my participation in the MHCLG ‘Sikh Roundtable’, my work has been included in this guidance which has now been corrected (July 2018). By influencing policy in this way and through my public engagement and impact activities, I am committed to demonstrating the value of and raising the profile of Arts and Humanities research among groups who may not have previously engaged with these disciplines previously.

Details about my teaching, research, media appearances and grants are available on my website.

PhD Supervisions

I welcome applications for PhD Supervision in the areas of:

• Religion in Diaspora
• Religion and Media
• Digital Religion
• Sikh Studies
• Religion and Culture 
• Religious Transmission
• Religion and Policy
• Religion and extremism

Qualifications

• PhD (Recognised for Research excellence)
• MA Religion and Public Life (Distinction)
• BSc (Hons) Computer Science & Accounting

Professional memberships

• AAR Sikh Studies Unit Co-Chair

Student education

As Professor of Religion and Global Engagement in the School of Philosophy, Religion and the History of Science, I teach on a variety of subjects including Religion and Media, Religion and Human Rights, Religion and Violence, Religion in Modern britain, South Asian Religions and The Sikh Tradition. Typical class sizes range from 20 to 85. I also supervise and mark final year projects and three placement students working with Leeds City Council, Leeds City Museum, and South Asian Arts UK.

Feedback from students

“By far the best subject I have studied this year. Jas has been incredibly enthusiastic, which has meant we have all really enjoyed it. The lectures and seminars have been very clear and have all connected. Jas has been the best lecturer and seminar tutor I have had, his interest and excitement for his topic has really rubbed off on us meaning learning has been extremely enjoyable!”

“An absolute pleasure, I have enjoyed every part of my learning, Jas has been an inspirational and motivational person throughout the semester. I really would recommend Jas and the subjects they teach, to anyone in first year/second year. Really great”

“Jas is a brilliant lecturer and seminar leader, provoking interesting debates and conversations amongst the group. We have had amazing opportunities such as a Sikh music concert and getting to visit three Gurdwaras. This is the sort of learning I would expect to have access to whilst at University, as it has really opened my eyes and had plenty to offer. I really hope I can work with Jas again in the future. Amazing.”

“Really interesting content, makes you think, teaches you things you didn’t know anything about before, with a broad range of topics and information”

“I really enjoyed the freedom of collecting and reporting on the information first hand. Seeing the religion in practice as opposed to just reading theory was really interesting.”

“Enjoyed the opportunity to visit a place of worship the module gives and the insight into many traditions we may not have otherwise studied.”

“The content was of a very high standard and the delivery of each lecture was given with a lot of enthusiasm causing me to be more engaged.”

“Thoroughly enjoyed the content, the lectures and the set reading. Teaching was of a very high standard and taught with enthusiasm. Assessment was explained well and plenty of opportunities to discuss this with Jas. Feedback on report plans were of a good level and I look forward to writing it.”

“Great tutor. Very enthusiastic and open to all sorts of questions and ideas that didn't leave you confused or regretting you had asked a question. Also very knowledgeable and able to contribute a great deal to our studies.”

Research groups and institutes

• Centre for Religion and Public Life
• Theology and Religious Studies

Current postgraduate researchers

• Priyesh Patel