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History

From the Director’s Desk

As the Centre has moved into the next decade since its inception in 2009, it is necessary to recall how and why the Centre came into being in Baroda and what were its founding principles as envisaged by its founder Balvant K. Parekh. Balvantbhai was looking for someone and an institution to carry forward and spread in India the message of Alfred Korzybski, the originator of the “discipline” of General Semantics, which he claims had helped him a lot in his business and in his own self-development. He found me and the institution I helped found, Forum on Contemporary Theory, almost accidentally, which seems to be an incident already foretold, and from that time on things happened almost irresistibly until Balvant Parekh Centre was created where Forum on Contemporary Theory was located with the generous support of Balvant Parekh and the Parekh family. The two institutions have been working together since then, mutually reinforcing each other through programmes, publications, research libraries and their global outreach through academic collaboration and exchange. 

It is heartening to note that since its inception four of us including Balvantbhai have received Talbott Winchell Award from the Institute of General Semantics, USA for their promotion of GS Studies in India; and two of our scholars have been awarded Hayakawa Book Prize from the Institute of General Semantics for their books published in association with Balvant Parekh Centre. Some of the notable contributions the Centre have made for the study and research in general semantics and other human sciences include the publication of the journal Anekaant: A Journal of Polysemic Thought; national and international seminars and conferences it organized during the period on topics of inter-disciplinary interest (“Enigma Series”), and its attempt to bring under its purview local and regional interventions in its various programmes spread across Gujarat. It was also possible for us to have with us through the series of Memorial and Distinguished Lectures held in Baroda many eminent scholars from India and abroad for critical exchange of ideas with local scholars in Baroda. As we have moved into the next decade through the past few years of transition, we must assess our achievements and failures and like a conscious “time-binder” look forward to the years not yet “traversed” for a productive and meaningful continuity and change.

- Prafulla C. Kar

Director

Chronology

November 2005
Prafulla C. Kar and Sitanshu Y. Mehta met Balvant Parekh in Mumbai to request him for some financial support for Forum on Contemporary Theory.
November 2005
July 20, 2006
Naming of FCT Library as Balvant K. Parekh Library and Conference Hall was made in the presence of Balvantbhai and his daughter Kalpanaben.
July 20, 2006
November 3-5, 2007
The First National Workshop on General Semantics titled “Cognitive Language Skills in the 21st Century” as part of FCT’s annual workshop was held in Baroda. The workshop was conducted by Steve Stockdale and Andrea Johnson from the Institute of General Semantics, USA.
November 3-5, 2007
January, 2008
A special number of ETC: A Review of General Semantics on “General Semantics in India” (Vol. 65, No. 1), dedicated to Balvantbhai Parekh, was published by the Institute of General Semantics.
January, 2008
May 5-10, 2008
First General Semantics Certificate Course was held in the Department of English, University of Mumbai (Faculty: Prafulla C. Kar, Devkumar Trivedi and Deepa Mishra).
May 5-10, 2008
June, 2008
The Board of Trust of FCT renamed its Centre for Contemporary Theory as Centre for Contemporary Theory and Patel Institute of English, Vallabh Vidyanagar.
June, 2008
November 17, 2008
Centre for Contemporary Theory and General Semantics was shifted to its present location at Siddhi Vinayak Complex, which was purchased with support from Balvant Parekh.
November 17, 2008
December 4-6, 2008
Second Certificate Course on General Semantics was held at Department of English, Panjab University, Chandigarh (Faculty: Prafulla C. Kar, Devkumar Trivedi, Pravesh Jung Golay and Deepti Gupta).
December 4-6, 2008
March 15, 2009
Inauguration of Balvant Parekh Centre for General Semantics and Other Human Sciences, with a Symposium on “Human Sciences” was held.
March 15, 2009

Awards and Recognitions

2011
Balvant K. Parekh, “J. Talbot Winchell Award” by the Institute of General Semantics, USA
2012
Prafulla C Kar, “Nicolas Guillen Award for Philosophical Literature” by the Caribbean Philosophical Association
2014
Devkumar Trivedi & Prafulla C. Kar, “J. Talbot Winchell Award” by the Institute of General Semantics, USA
2016
Bini B.S., J. Talbot Winchell Award” by the Institute of General Semantics, USA
2016
Deepa Mishra, “Hayakawa Book Prize” by Institute of General Semantics (for her book General Semantics: A Critical Companion)
2018
TRS Sharma, “Hayakawa Book Prize” by Institute of General Semantics (for his book Reading Alfred Korzybski through Inter- Theoretic Explorations: Indian and Western)