Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies
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The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, founded in 1997, is an independent academy for the study of Hindu culture, religion, languages, literature, philosophy, history, arts and society. The Centre is a Recognised Independent Centre of Oxford University.
The main goal of the Centre is to develop academic programmes of scholarship, research and publishing in the field of Hindu studies. Another aim is to engage the Hindu community in the academic study of their own philosophy, education, and culture.
“The official association provides a platform for the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and Oxford University to move forward together in teaching, research and publishing. It will also open to students and researchers the wonderful Indian resources Oxford holds, including the Indian Institute Library, housing the largest collection of Sanskrit texts outside of India.” Lord Patten of Barnes Chancellor of Oxford University
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[edit] About OCHS
Mission The mission of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies is to develop and promote academic excellence in Hindu Studies by providing a balanced and structured programme of education, research and publishing.
Aims Academic Excellence The OCHS aims to meet the highest standards of academic integrity, originality and excellence. It aims to create an association of eminent scholars of Hindu Culture and to develop appropriate research facilities.
Building Bridges The OCHS aims to fill the gaps between cultures by promoting greater knowledge and understanding of Hindu culture and by creating opportunities for interaction and co-operation between scholars and communities.
Accessibility The OCHS aims to provide access for all to the intellectual and cultural heritage of Hinduism through teaching, publishing, internet resources and the media.
Preservation The OCHS aims to preserve Hindu heritage – its scriptures, arts, literature and history – through research projects and digitization.
[edit] Educational programmes
The OCHS gives students access to some of the world’s best scholars in the field. All students of the OCHS are members of Oxford colleges and are studying for Oxford degrees from undergraduate to doctoral levels.
Students of the Centre are reading for degrees in the faculties of Theology, Oriental Studies, History and Anthropology. OCHS faculty members tutor and supervise students, and Shivdasani Visiting Fellows offer extra classes and tutoring in specialised areas of study. The Centre holds regular lectures and seminars, including the named Majewski, Wahlstrom and Ford lectures.
Conferences and symposia, dealing with Texts, Archeology, Desire, and Women in Hinduism have promoted discussions and opened up new vistas in the knowledge and understanding of these topics. Students at the Centre are encouraged to use their education to contribute to informed debate and commentary on issues of interest and concern in the public domain.
[edit] OCHS Continuing Education Department
The OCHS Continuing Education Department (CED) has been formed to facilitate Hindu Studies to adults in the UK and to make a scholarly approach available to as wide an audience as possible. Certificate and Diploma courses are currently being taught at six centres around the country, in partnership with the University of Wales, Lampeter.
"The OCHS has developed a reputation for academic excellence and without the Centre we wouldn’t have Hindu Studies at Oxford. Its students do us credit". Richard Gombrich, Emeritus Boden Professor of Sanskrit, Oxford University
[edit] Publishing
The most impressive publishing venture of the OCHS is the Hindu Studies book series, published by Routledge. The Centre has also initiated an OCHS Monograph series and text translation projects. Such publishing opportunities are very helpful for promoting scholars’ careers and also for developing the broad field of Hindu Studies.
Routledge Hindu Studies Series Series Editor, Gavin Flood, Oxford University Previous Series Editor, Francis X. Clooney, SJ, Harvard University, USA, 2003-2005 The Routledge Hindu Studies Series, in association with the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, publishes books covering areas of constructive Hindu theological, philosophical and ethical research aimed at bringing Hindu traditions into dialogue with contemporary trends in scholarship and contemporary society. The series has attracted original, high quality, research level work on religion, culture and society of Hindus living in India and abroad. It has also welcomed proposals for annotated translations of important primary sources and studies in the history of the Hindu religious traditions will also be considered.
Titles in this series include: Gender and Narrative in the Mahabharata, Simon Brodbeck, Brian Black; The Chaitanya Vaishnava Vedanta of Jiva Gosvami, Ravi Gupta; Self-Surrender to God in Shrivaishnavism; Srilata Raman; Classical Samkhya and Yoga, Mikel Burley; Advaita Vedanta and Vaisnavism,Sanjukta Gupta; Attending Krishna's Image, Kenneth Russell Valpey; Samkara's Advaita Vedanta: A Way of Teaching, Jacqueline G Suthren Hirst; A Hindu Critique of Buddhist Epistemology, John Taber; Doctrine in Madhva Vedanta, Deepak Sarma
[edit] Online Lecture Library
The OCHS website has an Online Library of over 150 MP3 recordings of lectures and seminars.
Stretching from 2001 to the present and growing with each new term, the library ranges from introductory surveys of major Hindu themes, texts and traditions; single lectures on topics like Women in the Mahabharata or Poetry in the Vedas; discussions with Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Scholars, and seminars on Hindi Cinema.
These open and often challenging discussions are offered by the OCHS as reference material for scholars, students, and anyone else with an interest in the heritage of Hindu culture. The recordings, especially the earlier ones, are not professionally recorded and are unedited.
[edit] History & Achievements
The OCHS was founded in 1997. Since its inception, the Centre has attracted world-class scholars and students, launched pioneering educational projects and opened up the field of Hindu Studies for a wider audience
Recognised by Oxford The OCHS has been awarded the status of “Recognised Independent Centre of Oxford University”, making it Oxford’s principal provider in the field of Hindu Studies and an acknowledged centre of academic integrity and excellence.
Oxford Degree Supported by the academic facilities of the OCHS, Oxford University now offers a focus on Hindu studies for students of various faculties. The Students of the Centre are all studying for degrees awarded by the University. Scholars at the OCHS have tutored and supervised these students since the Centre’s inception.
International Students The OCHS has attracted students from all over the world, including Japan, Belgium, France, Germany, USA, England, Croatia, Ireland, Germany, Trinidad, Tanzania, Israel and South Africa. This attraction to Oxford and its wonderful resources has helped nurture a community of young scholars.
Hindu Studies Courses A Continuing Education Department (CED) has been established to address adult educational needs in the area of Hindu Studies. Courses are currently offered at UK centres in London, Leicester, Birmingham, and Oxford. Credits gained from these courses may be used toward a higher education Degree. From 2008 onwards these courses will also be available online.
Scholarships and Fellowships Since 1998, the Centre has been inviting internationally renowned scholars to deliver lectures and tutorials at Oxford University. These include recipients of the very successful Shivdasani Fellowship, which helps Indian scholars come to Oxford every term. Through these fellowships and student scholarships we have effectively encouraged intellectual understanding between cultures of learning. These initiatives are producing practical results in fields including trade and economics.
Seminars and Lectures The OCHS hosts interdisciplinary programmes on a wide variety of themes and topics. Lectures and seminars have covered subjects such as: Issues of Hindu Identity; Vedanta; the Epics; Lifestyle; Ritual; Poetry and Literature; Interpretation; Sadhus and Teachers; Issues of Gender; Education; Society, Hierarchy and Caste; Sanskrit and special series exploring issues relating Hindu culture to Islam, Christianity and Judaism. The scope is broad and continues to grow. A large amount of this collection can be downloaded from the Centre's website.
Projects and Research The OCHS Projects explore the ways in which Hindu Identity and culture have developed in today’s world. The Centre also encourages preservation and text translation projects that open up new perspectives while safeguarding the past. They meet the growing need for better research on every aspect of Indian culture – social and economic trends, arts and media, the histories and heritage, and languages and literatures of all Indian communities. OCHS recognises this need and is committed to encouraging greater understanding in every area.
The British Hinduism Oral History Project For the first time, the experiences of first generation Hindus who settled in Britain were recorded and made available in an extensive archive of interviews. This three-year project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Foundation, based in London.
Hindu Youth Survey The Hindu Youth Survey is the first survey of its kind ever attempted, developed with the assistance of the Hindu Youth Festival 2001. The results have served to make the concerns and experiences of young British Hindus known to government, media and the public. A report on this project can be seen here: [1]
Digital Shikshapatri The Digital Shikshapatri provides instant online access to a treasure of British Hindu cultural heritage, capturing the Shikshapatri manuscript held in Oxford’s Bodleian Library in a website designed to help people of all backgrounds to better understand its significance. This innovative learning resource is a model for other online versions of important manuscripts held in libraries across the world. It is also an interesting example of how scholars and community members successfully worked together for a common goal.
