News

The continued growth of the OCHS has seen an increasing number of students engaged in Hindu studies at Oxford. The support offered to such students is essential for the academic integrity and objective representation of the Hindu tradition to both scholars and the public. We are happy to announce several scholarships awarded to students of the OCHS. These scholarships provide an opportunity for students to travel and pursue their research and they make a big difference to their morale and material needs.

The scholarships awarded are as follows:

The Friends of the OCHS (FOCHS) Leicester launched a new fund-raising campaign for the OCHS at their third event - a lecture by Dr Nick Sutton of the OCHS Continuing Education Department on Divinity in Hindu Culture.

The Leicester FOCHS was formed  by a group of CED alumni who wanted to see the work of the OCHS continue and thrive. This enables the OCHS to contribute back to the Hindu Communites who have so generously supported it.

In February the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies is launching its Online Education Course ‘Understanding Hindu Identity’.

Since 2003, the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies has taught extramural courses throughout the UK as part of its commitment to bring the fruits of Oxford scholarship in Hinduism to a broad audience. Since then the courses have been taught dozens of times in Leicester, London, Birmingham, and Oxford.

This term sees new students from an unprecedented range of backgrounds studying at OCHS. Each is bringing new interests, aims, and perspectives to the life of the Centre while qualifying for their Oxford degrees.

Every year existing OCHS students graduate to higher degrees or become full alumni of the Centre, teaching and publishing internationally in the field of Hindu Studies. And every year a new batch of undergraduate and masters students arrive from around the world. In October six new students began their studies here, each with a different story.

OCHS alumnus, research fellow, and Academic Administrator, Dr Jessica Frazier has published her first book, Reality, Religion, and Passion.

Big news for the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies iss the appointment of OCHS Academic Director Prof. Gavin Flood as ‘Professor of Oxford University’.

3 November 2008 sees the official launch of the Journal of Hindu Studies at the American Academy of Religion Conference in Chicago.

The Journal is a joint venture between the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and Oxford University Press.

The Department of Cultural and Religious Studies (CRS), at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), - the oldest department of religious studies in the Chinese speaking world - has raised funding for a professorship in Indian Religions and Culture. This post was held by OCHS Fellow, Dr Kenneth Valpey in its inaugural year.

The OCHS Continuing Education Department held its first summer school here in Oxford in July. Anuradha Dooney devised and taught a weekend course along with Dr Jessica Frazier. As a pilot it was only advertised to a small group of our current Hindu Studies students, seventeen of whom attended. The response from students and teachers was very positive and it is hoped that this is a programme that can be developed in future years.

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