Leaders, academics and supporters from one of Calgary’s largest diasporas gathered on Sunday to celebrate and expand the future of a University of Calgary community co-created program, with the Sikh Studies Gala.
The afternoon affair at the Empire Banquet Hall hosted several members of Calgary’s Sikh community for the fundraising event.
UCalgary Faculty of Arts development director Cathy Billington said the Sikh Studies program offered by the university is a community co-created initiative.
From their first standalone gift in 2016, followed by their first successful “Giving Day” in 2021 — all have played a significant role in developing the program.
“Thanks to the community support paired with matching funds from the University of Calgary, we’ve been able to establish six courses in Sikh Studies at the University of Calgary, fund a four-year limited-term professorship dedicated to Sikh Studies,” Billington said. “This has impacted over 500 students at the university, had dozens of community events and five community research-based initiatives as well.”
It also helped create the Sikh Studies Endowment Fund, dedicated to supporting the ongoing expansion of Sikh Studies at the U of C.
“Because of this amazing support and vote of confidence from the community, the university has stepped forward to make that four-year limited term professorship a permanent faculty position dedicated to Sikh studies at the university,” Billington said.
Guests gather at Calgary’s Empire Banquet Hall for a fundraising dinner for the University of Calgary’s Sikh Studies program on Sunday, March 29, 2026.
Moving forward, the university aims to establish an endowed Sikh Studies Research Chair.
“This is a rare opportunity to establish a world-class Sikh Studies chair right here in Calgary,” said Jaskaran Sandhu, Sikh Studies community advisory council member. “It would create a space to research, share, and elevate Sikh history and contributions while strengthening cultural understanding across communities.”
Since it is a community-informed initiative, Billington said community positions are available to help give feedback in an advisory capacity to the university on Sikh Studies.
‘Doing it for everyone’
For Canadians who have an interest in the Sikh faith, former Calgary councillor and Calgary-Skyview MP George Chahal said the program offers students a unique opportunity to learn more about their culture.
“I think it’s a great initiative that community members have worked extremely hard to bring forward, and today’s a day of recognition, but a day of giving to support the Sikh Studies program at the University of Calgary to raise funds to make sure that we have a strong, vibrant program for the future,” Chahal said.
Canada is host to one of the largest Sikh populations outside of India.
As a born and raised Calgarian in the Sikh community, Chahal said their community is dedicated to working together to build a stronger Calgary and Canada alongside all their neighbours.
“Any time there’s a need to support each other, we have an important saying is ‘Sarbat da Bhala’, and that’s doing it for everyone,” he said. “We come together as a community, so the Sikh community is a community here in Canada, but we’re Canadians.”
Guests gather at Calgary’s Empire Banquet Hall for a fundraising dinner for the University of Calgary’s Sikh Studies program on Sunday, March 29, 2026.
As the third largest ethnic group in Calgary, Sikh Studies student Manvir Kaur Sidhu said the program allows for proper representation of their culture in academia.
“Having a program here that gives us an opportunity to do our research, talk about ourselves, to learn more about our ancestry, and share it with other people in our classes, which are always triple-filled, I think is an amazing opportunity, and that the university is supporting us in this endeavor,” Sidhu said.
Fellow student Harveen Kaur Toor said it also gives Sikh students an identity within U of C, while promoting multiculturalism.
“Canadians, they pride themselves on multiculturalism,” Toor said. “So we’re trying to build that same multiculturalism through Sikh studies, and I think it’s a great initiative.”
Guests gather at Calgary’s Empire Banquet Hall for a fundraising dinner for the University of Calgary’s Sikh Studies program on Sunday, March 29, 2026.