SGGS Academy to open centres in US, Canada

Lumut, Malaysia | 19 April 2015 | Asia Samachar 

A Malaysian-based academy promoting the study of Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) plans to open new centres in the United States and Canada.

The SGGS Adacemy, which was established in 2005, now runs 89 centres in 12 countries with a total of 52,000 students.

“Bostawa [South Africa] is also in the pipeline,” Paramjit Singh, one of three trustees of the academy, tells Asia Samachar, when met at the academy’s annual family camp for Malaysia.

The academy is in discussions to open centres in New Jersey, US and Vancouver, Canada.

Malaysia, with 29 centres, still ranks highest in terms of centres, with some 800 students. However, India is set to overtake both on centre and students count.

The adacemy has already opened 28 centres catering to some 35,000 students in India.

“That’s only the tip of the iceberg,” another academy trusteee Amarjeet Singh tells Asia Samachar.

The other centres are in Australia (6), UK (4), Netherlands (3), UAE (3), Thailand (2), China (1), Singapore (1), Indonesia (1), South Africa (1) and Belgium (1).

Some 300 took part in the SGGS Academy three-day camp at a beach resort at Lumut, Perak which ended today.

The annual camp is intended as a get-together in a relaxed setting of its students and academy trainers.

“This camp is to enhance family bonding. We also encourage the Gurbani culture amongst the family units,” said Paramjit Singh.

Its first ever family camp in India last year, held at Ludhiana, Punjab, was attended by some 1,000 participants.

SGGS Academy’s camp also aims to ensure that the younger generation are imbibed with the proper Sikh values.

“That is one of our aims at the Academy. When they have the right and proper Sikhi knowledge, they will be guided in life,” said Sunil shukvir Singh, another trustee of the academy.

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