Farhan Karim

Farhan Karim's research encompasses a diverse range within modern art and architecture of South Asia, incorporating themes such as climate justice, decolonization, radical pedagogy, and participatory design. Currently, he is working on a research monograph titled "Climate Before Climate Crisis: Sustainability Narratives in Modern South Asian Architecture." By studying the works of architects and research organizations across South Asia, this book aims to present how decolonization, environmental justice, and sustainability coalesce to shape the language of postcolonial modernism.

Karim has authored of "Of Greater Dignity than Riches: Austerity and Housing Design in India" (2019) and has contributed as an editor to works including "Routledge Companion to Architecture and Social Engagement" (2018), "Flows, Boundaries and the Construction of Muslim Selves Through Architecture" (2018), and "Memorial Reproduction of 1971 in Contemporary Bangladesh" (2021). His upcoming coedited books include, "Establishment of a Field: Architectural Pedagogy in Middle East and North Africa" (2024) and "The Making of Modern Muslim Selves Through Architecture" (2024). 

Karim has served as the president and vice president of the Society of Urban and Architectural Historians of Asia (https://www.sauhasia.org/), and is currently serving as coeditor for the book series "Across the Global South: Built Environment in Critical Perspective " (University of Singapore Press).

Karim's academic journey includes fellowships at esteemed institutions such as the Canadian Center for Architecture, Aga Khan Foundation at MIT, Dumbarton Oaks at Harvard, and the Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO), Berlin.

As an educator, Karim has developed a passion for teaching architectural history survey courses. He has found it extremely rewarding to explore with his students the diverse yet intertwined history of humanity and its struggle to convert this planet into its home.