Passing of Suresh Sharma

We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our friend and colleague Suresh Sharma. Professor Sharma had been instrumental in the creation of the Nantes Institute and his opening up to the Indian research area. Suresh Sharma studied History and Chinese Civilisation, at the Delhi University. Former Professor of History and Anthroplogy, and former Director of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi, he was Consultant for the United Nations University, Tokyo (1983-86); Adviser for the National Museum of Man, Bhopal (India); Senior Charles Wallace Fellow, Hull University, U.K. ; Member of the Planning Group, Mahatma Gandhi Hindi International University, Wardha (India) ; Fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, India (1995-1997) and Senior Fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin.

A member of the very first year group of fellows at IAS-Nantes (2008/2009), he went on to join the institute’s scientific advisory board as an associate fellow from 2010 to 2013.  His wisdom, curiosity and generosity enriched the many fellows who had the pleasure of working with him over the years. Today, each of them benefits from the subtlety of his analysis and his ability to revive their line of questioning. Deeply committed to the study of Gandhi’s thought, Suresh Sharma published a critical edition of the text Hind Swaraj in 2014 in the collection Poids et mesures du monde. In 2014, he wrote the preface for the French translation of Gandhi’s “Hind Swaraj, l’émancipation à l’indienne”, published by Fayard. The Institute of Advanced Studies today pays homage to the excellence and importance of his scientific contribution.

We express our heartfelt sympathies to his family.