Dr. Harbans Lal is the Ambassador of the Parliament of World Religions. He is Emeritus Professor and Chairman, of the Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, at the University North Texas Health Science Center.
He is member of the Interfaith Council of the World Center for Thanksgiving, and Founding President of the Sikhs for Interreligious Engagement. He is Board Member of United Nation Association Dallas; advisor to the American Project on Religion and the News Media; and to the Sikh Foundation International. He is a trustee of Bhai Nand Lal Sikh Academy and Founder Vice-President of the Sri Nanakana Sahib Foundation. Dr. Lal also serves as the Founder President of the Academy of Guru Granth Studies. In 1954, Dr. Lal was elected as the President of the All India Sikh Students Federation. He was recognized by robes of honor by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandhak Committee, the Chief Khalsa Diwan, and the Sikh Educational Conference. In 1995, Guru Nanak Dev University awarded him the Degree of Doctor of Literature (honoris causa) in recognition of his contributions in Sikh Studies. On April 14, 1999, the Anandpur Sahib Foundation awarded him the Order of Nishan-e-Khalsa for “for his superb accomplishments in promoting the glory and pride of the Khalsa Panth.”
Sikhi or the Wisdom of Guru, Gurmat, would enlighten all corners of the world. Since the time of that prophesy the ethnic Sikh Diasporas have been taking roots outside Panjab successfully, especially in the West, but the corresponding extent of Sikhi has not been experienced in the new lands. In contrast, the other world religions from the East like Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sufi Islam are visibly beginning to make an impact on the West during the same period. What impeded Sikhi from making similar inroads in the West is a challenge to our institutions. What will be discussed is as to how the world class scholars, sociologists and intellectuals may accept the challenge to freshly define Sikhi Universals for the new world. Those Sikhi Universals will be desired to be operationalized in the North American cultures. New emphasis will divert Sikh intellectual and institutional resources from a mode of policing the Sikh religiosity to highlighting the spiritual, socio-cultural and political human values that serve today’s civil societies.