WAVES 2020 Youth Conference presented by HSC & WAVES
The 2020 WAVES Youth Conference was held virtually on January 31, 2021.
WAVES is an interdisciplinary society that enables scholarship for a multitude of topics related to Vedic Studies. Since 1994, WAVES has hosted biannual conferences around the world. WAVES has published academic papers and has hosted presentations, panels, and roundtable discussions for scholars in the Vedic Studies.
This year’s conference co-hosts are World Association for Vedic Studies (WAVES International), Wider Association for Vedic Studies (WAVES India), Hindu Students Council, and S-Vyasa Bangalore.
This is the first time HSC took part in the youth conference. With dozens of papers submitted for consideration, the success of the 2020 Youth Conference ensures that HSC will continue to be involved with the WAVES youth initiative in future years.
Below is the Conference Schedule and links to watch all of the talks on HSC’s Youtube and Facebook pages.
| Name | Affiliation | Start Time (EST) | Topic | Watch on Youtube | Watch on Facebook |
| Harsh Agarwal | Vice President of Events, HSC | 12:00 PM EST | Introduction: WAVES 2020 Conference, Phase III | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Keerthana Kothapalli | John P. Stevens High School | 12:05 PM EST | The Role of a Temple in Hindu Dharma An understanding of origins, architecture, and value of temples through the ages | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Vivek Rallabandi | John P. Stevens High School | 12:24 PM EST | The Structure of Dharmic Marriage: How its Deliberate Design Has Upheld our Tradition for Millenia | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Sansdhita Anand | Independence High School | 12:50 PM EST | Kanyadaan: A chauvinistic ritual or a noble tradition? | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Anagha Hesaraghatta & Nidhi Rao | University of South Florida | 1:07 PM EST | Back to the Basics: Learning how to preserve our environment from ancient Vedic literature | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Anvesh Jain | University of Toronto | 1:20 PM EST | Jhandi, Desh, Dharma: Hinduism and Ethnic Identity in the West Indies | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Pranav Kalkunte | Independence High School | 1:38 PM EST | Guru Shishya Parampara: A key vehicle for the propagation of the eastern religions | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Vishal Thyagarajan | Centennial High School | 1:51 PM EST | Salvation vs Moksha – Differing beliefs by different religions about ways of attaining the ideal end state. A comparative analysis | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Arushi Sree Ramaka | Montgomery High School | 2:11 PM EST | Unraveling The Maya of Social Media and Entertainment Platforms | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Manani Seth | Reedy School | 2:32 PM EST | Are mantras merely boring recitations? | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Krishna Desai | Rutgers University | 2:44 PM EST | Vedic Roots of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Bhuvanesh Prabakar | Bridgewater Raritan High School | 2:59 PM EST | The Economy of Hindu Dharma | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Rajiv Malhotra, Keynote | Infinity Foundation | 3:15 PM EST | Keynote Panel: Rajiv Malhotra & Hindu students on Artificial Intelligence | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Richa Jani | Plano West High School | 4:00 PM EST | Keeping the Faith: The Significance of Bhakti in Kali Yuga | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Malvika S. Sawant | Johns Creek High School | 4:16 PM EST | Importance of Vedas and Their Influence on Life | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Pranav Kalkunte | Independence High School | 4:40 PM EST | An Estimate of the Vastness of the Hindu Scriptures – An Analysis | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Dhaval Nayi | Kings College London | 4:54 PM EST | Analyzing the Effect of Reincarnation and Karma on Human behavior | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Prasiddha Sudhakar | Rutgers University | 5:14 PM EST | Rediscovering Hindu civilization in Pakistan and Afghanistan | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Mansa Devaki | Seabury Hall | 5:33 PM EST | Karma Over the Yugas | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Dhanesh Budhram | UNC Chapel Hill | 6:00 PM EST | How monkeys, bears, and squirrels contributed to developing Hinduism in Guyana | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
| Aditya Goel | St Marks School of TX | 6:45 PM EST | The Relevance of Sanskrit and Panini’s Ashtadhyayi in Natural Language Processing and Computer Linguistics | Youtube Link | Facebook Link |
The conference features dozens of presentations by students on their papers that have been submitted to WAVES for publication. Our keynote panel features Shri Rajiv Malhotra in a discussion with HSC students on the topic of artificial intelligence.
Official Conference Flyer:
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