About

Founded more than two decades ago, Urdu Institute is the only organization which is continuously organizing programs with the mission of promoting Urdu language and literature in United States. Initially it’s known as “Arbaab-e-Urdu” with a limited purpose to promoting creative writing among Urdu-speaking people. Ms. Razia Fasih Ahmed was instrumental in initiating the idea of organizing such a gathering. There used to be a group of few poets and writers would meet once in a month at Schaumburg Library to present and discuss their work. With the passage of time, some people felt the need to expand its work with more active participation of community. Mr. Amin Haider took over the affairs of this organization and transform this organization into “The Urdu Institute” by offering more robust programs that include but not limited to creating writing (Aap ki Takhliqaat), a discussion on understanding the Ash’aar (Ash’aar O Iz’haar), Mushairas, seminars, and interviews with scholarly personalities on Urdu literature.

 

Urdu Institute (UI) offers Urdu learning programs through online teaching, inviting university scholars such as Prof. John Woods and Prof. Franklin Lewis from University of Chicago, Prof. Khwaja Ikramuddin from Jawahar Lal Nehru University from India, other scholars from Pakistan, Canada and other places for a talk, discussion or a presentation at the UI programs A seminar on Urdu Journalism, and book-release functions for several poets and writers, to name a few. The Institute has the credit of organizing a yearly signature program known as “Jashn-e-Urdu” for the last two years that has literary taste as well as performing art.

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Urdu Institute is a not-for-profit, 501(C)(3), tax exempt organization. Currently our focus is to expand our activities of promoting Urdu from Chicago to other places of United States. Urdu has a rich history of bringing communities together. We are trying to pass on this legacy to our new generation so that the language, the literature, and our Urdu culture (Tahzeeb) will continue to flourish in the West.