Ten days ago, I attended the fourth annual Sikholars Graduate Student Conference that took place at picturesque Stanford University in Stanford, California. I would like to formally thank Jakara Movement for this year’s event, and extend my appreciation to all of the presenters, panelists, moderators, volunteers and attendees who made this year’s conference so enriching.

In the realm of Sikh academia, I consider myself a lay person. However, I have been a fan of this conference since I attended the first one in 2010. The presentations are a deep-sea dive into the world of Sikh studies, and each year, the conference uncovers and introduces me to concepts and information that broadens my knowledge. I also enjoy the discussions I am able to have with the presenters and attendees at the conference and beyond. To be exposed to such research and academic work is enlightening and inspiring, and I look forward to pursuing many of these ideas over the coming year.

This year’s conference was an intense examination of a variety of topics — a look at our history, present, and future — and an attempt by me to summarize the content presented during Sikholars 2013 would not do justice to the presenters. However, I would refer all who are interested to the recap of the conference provided by the Jakara Movement. More information about the conference and presenters is available at the Sikholars website.