Asma Sayed

Dr. Asma Sayed is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in South Asian Literary and Cultural Studies at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. She serves as Vice President, Equity and Inclusive Communities, and previously led KPU’s Office of Anti-Racism as Associate Vice President. A scholar-activist, she bridges postcolonial studies, feminist theory, and critical race frameworks in her research and teaching.

• Education: PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Alberta

Her research explores:

• Transnational literary networks spanning Asia, Africa, and the Americas
• Critical equity studies and decolonial methodologies
• Gendered violence and maternal representation in South Asian cinema
• Heritage language literatures and canon formation in Canada
• Ecofeminist and postcolonial ecological narratives

Recent publications focus on diasporic identity, Bollywood critiques, and feminist interventions in global literature. Notable awards include:

• Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists (2020)
• KPU’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Award (2023)
• KPU’s Distinguished Scholarship Award (2022)
• SSHRC grants

She has organized academic symposiums, co-edited special issues on the Ruptured Commons, and led KPU’s Task Force on Antiracism (2020–2022).