The Jehangir Saleh Fund
The Jehangir Saleh Fund was originally established in 2014 as an annual lecture series to honour the memory, life, and work of Jehangir Saleh. Jehangir was a curious, creative, and inspirational student of philosophy at Toronto Metropolitan University, who graduated from Arts & Contemporary Studies in 2008.
Jehangir dedicated his time and academic work to the idea of ‘opening up’ and understanding chronic illness, using his personal and lived experiences as a framework for creative, theoretical and research exploration. The Fund provides students with a platform to explore and engage with ideas that inspire conversation, create a sense of community, and enact social change. Faculty of Arts students, or groups of students with at least one Faculty of Arts student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), are invited annually to apply for financial support towards public initiatives that continue Jehangir’s work and legacy.
These events, which can take place in the form of public lectures, panel discussions, artistic installations, and/or performances, might explore themes such as:
- The intersection of identity and community
- Chronic illness and disability
- The social framing of illness and death
Projects can be in collaboration or celebration with other activities such as Social Justice Week or Mental Health Week. They can include bringing in a guest speaker for a stand-alone event for members of the TMU and broader community or be a part of an existing student conference or event. They can also be meaningful, community-building endeavours to support overcoming various forms of adversity.
The Art of Well-being (external link, opens in new window) , Dr. Havi Carel, Bristol University (2015)
Living Well in the Face of Illness, Dr. Kay Toombs, Baylor University (2016)
Imprisoned Bodies: Liberation in the Midst of Limitation (external link, opens in new window) , Professor Drew Leder, Loyola University (2017)
The Meaning of Health (external link, opens in new window) , Dr. John Russon, University of Guelph (2018)
Moral Vulnerability in a Time of Political Crisis (external link, opens in new window) , Professor Todd May, Clemson University (2019)
Women Talks, Rachel Appiagyei-David, Claire Davis, Rahma Hilowle (2022)
Medical Humanities Conference (external link) , Several Speakers (2023)
$2,500 is available each Fall and Winter semester to fund public lectures, events and/or programs.
Applicants are welcome to apply for the full annual amount, and may be awarded $5,000 if the scope and/or nature of the proposal merits it. Examples include a high-profile guest speaker, or resources to create an event/initiative that takes place for a number of days, weeks or months, like a public art exhibition. If you are applying for the full amount ($5,000), you must submit a detailed budget alongside your application outlining your proposed costs.
Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible to secure funding for winter semester projects.
Continuous intake
This award is administered through the Student Projects Grant, please refer to the Student Projects Grant page for eligibility and application details.
For more information, please contact Elisa Wreford at elisa.wreford@torontomu.ca
Learn more about Jehangir's legacy in this video made by his family.
This Fund honours the life of Jehangir Saleh (1985-2013), an extraordinary student of Philosophy and graduate of the Arts & Contemporary Studies program at Toronto Metropolitan University. Jehangir was fearless in confronting and making meaning from life’s challenges, and his positive and contagious spirit inspired those around him to do the same.
We thank the Saleh family and their friends for establishing the Jehangir Saleh Fund at TMU.