Find Academic Supervisors

Professor Peter Flügel is Chair of the Centre of Jaina Studies and Professor of the Study of Religions and Philosophies at SOAS University of London. His extensive research covers Jain history, anthropology, sociology, ritual practices, and comparative philosophy. Education: Dr Phil (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz) MA (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz) Flügel's research encompasses Jain schools and sects, relic stūpas, Jaina-Vaiṣṇava syncretism, socio-political history of the Jain tradition, and questions of pluralism and non-violence. He specializes in the material culture of Jain mendicant traditions and Jain legal history. Flügel has directed numerous research projects funded by the British Academy, Leverhulme Trust, and AHRC, including 'Jaina Rituals of Death', 'Jaina-Prosopography', and 'Exploratory Survey of the Jaina Heritage in Pakistan'. His publications demonstrate extensive archival research and fieldwork focused on Jain religious practices across South Asia. Scientific Awards: Ācārya Tulsī Anekānt Sammān (1999) International Pravartinī Pārvatī Jain Award (2010) Jewel of the Jain World Award (2012) Flügel convenes the Annual Jaina Studies Workshops at SOAS and serves as editor of the International Journal of Jain Studies. He maintains international collaborations with universities in Lund, Lille, and Ghent, and research partnerships with institutions in India and Germany.

• Jain Studies
• Religious Anthropology
• Jain Rituals
• +2 more

Vishal Sharma is a Researcher at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies within the University of Oxford . His email address is deo.sharma@ames.ox.ac.uk. Research Interests: Sanskrit Epics and their reception Sectarianism and polemics in early modern South India Mādhva and Śrīvaiṣṇava Vaiṣṇavism South Indian Śaivism Current Projects: He is part of the Leverhulme Project on the Mahābhārata (2021–2024), focusing on the intersection of religious philosophy, literary analysis, and historical context in South Asian traditions.

• Sanskrit Literature
• Cultural History
• Religious Studies
• +3 more

Professor Kate Crosby holds the position of Professor of Buddhist Studies in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at King's College London since 2013. She previously served as Director of the Centre of Buddhist Studies at SOAS and held academic roles at the Universities of Edinburgh, Lancaster, Cardiff, and Oxford. She has held visiting positions at McGill University, Dongguk University, and the Buddhist Institute in Phnom Penh. Her research focuses on Theravada Buddhism, Pali and Sanskrit literature, and Buddhist practices in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. She has conducted extensive fieldwork across Theravada countries and collaborates with local scholars. Crosby co-edits the journal Contemporary Buddhism and leads projects such as the Theravada Civilizations Project and the AHRC Religion and Society grant on Boran Kammatthana meditation. Her recent work examines the historical relationship between pre-modern Theravada meditation practices and technologies of transformation like Ayurvedic medicine. She explores how modern Western concepts displaced traditional practices post-19th century. Fieldwork in Cambodia investigates the revival and decline of meditation traditions post-Khmer Rouge. She also works on editing Sinhala-Pali meditation manuals and studies disrobing practices in monastic communities. Crosby teaches undergraduate courses on Introduction to Buddhism, Buddhist Ethics, and Theravada Buddhism, as well as graduate modules on Buddhist arts and manuscript studies. Her advisory work includes the Bodleian Library’s project cataloguing Shan texts in the UK and Thailand. She welcomes PhD students researching Theravada Buddhism, meditation, or Pali/Sanskrit literature. Key collaborations include work with Andrew Skilton and Amal Gunasena on meditation traditions and the Siyam Nikaya. Current projects include a book on monastic disrobing and editing conference volumes on meditation studies.

• Theravada Buddhism
• Buddhist Meditation
• Sanskrit and Pali Literature
• +3 more

Dr. Ankur Barua is a University Senior Lecturer in Hindu Studies at the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge. He holds affiliations within the School of Arts & Humanities and specializes in Hindu philosophical theology, comparative religion, and postcolonial religious dynamics. His research explores Vedantic traditions, Indo-Islamic social structures, and Hindu-Christian theological engagements. Barua completed a B.Sc. in Physics at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, before transitioning to Theology and Religious Studies at Cambridge. His interdisciplinary work bridges Sanskrit studies, postcolonial theory, and global religious history. Key research areas include: 1) Vedantic conceptual frameworks for understanding Hindu identity across transnational contexts, 2) Interfaith dynamics between Hinduism and Islam/Christianity, 3) Modern reinterpretations of classical Hindu thought, and 4) Theological responses to caste and social justice. His creative work includes historical fiction exploring religious identity formation and a YouTube channel explaining Hindu concepts accessibly. Publications since 2017 reflect sustained engagement with Advaita Vedanta's philosophical implications, colonial-era religious reform movements, and contemporary debates on religious pluralism. His work frequently engages with thinkers like Rāmānuja, Swami Vivekananda, and modern scholars like GR Malkani. No specific scientific awards are listed, though his scholarly contributions indicate significant recognition in religious studies. He supervises students under Dr. Hina Khalid and Rasamandala Das, focusing on Hindu studies, Sanskrit texts, and comparative theology.

• Hindu Philosophical Theology
• Comparative Philosophy of Religion
• Indo-Islamic Social Dynamics
• +4 more

Professor Gavin Flood is a Professor of Hindu Studies and Comparative Religion at the University of Oxford, serving as Academic Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. He previously held positions at the Universities of Wales (Lampeter) and Stirling. He earned his degree in Religious Studies and Social Anthropology from Lancaster University. His research focuses on medieval Hindu texts (particularly Shiva traditions), comparative religion, and phenomenology of religion. Current projects include studies on holiness and the Sanskrit Netra Tantra text. He is General Series Editor for the Oxford History of Hinduism. Awarded Fellowship of the British Academy (2014), his work bridges religious studies and interfaith scholarship. He oversees academic initiatives at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, fostering interdisciplinary research.

• Hindu Studies
• Comparative Religion
• Phenomenology of Religion
• +3 more

Dr. Richard David Williams is a Reader in Music and South Asian Studies at SOAS University of London , where he works in the School of Arts and Department of Music . His research bridges musicology, cultural history, and religious studies, focusing on South Asian music's evolution during colonialism and early modernity. BA and MPhil in Theology and Modern South Asian Studies from the University of Oxford PhD in Music from King’s College London Williams' research investigates how music and sound interact with literature, religion, and multilingual environments across South Asia. His first book, The Scattered Court: Hindustani Music in Colonial Bengal (2023), reconstructs interregional musical dialogues between north India and Bengal, centering on the exiled Nawab Wajid ‘Ali Shah's influence. His second book explores Ragamala, an early-modern fusion of musical imagery with poetry, while collaborating with Professor Makoto Kitada on translating the Gulshan-e-‘Ishq epic. His recent publications trace global music historiography, courtesan performance, and sonic dimensions in Shi'ah and Vaishnava traditions. Williams supervises PhD candidates on diasporic music, film song poetics, and Sri Lankan Tamil musical dislocations. He has held a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Scientific Awards: Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

• Musicology
• South Asian Studies
• Hindustani Classical Music
• +7 more

Dr. Krishnan Ram-Prasad is a Junior Research Fellow in Classics and Linguistics at Merton College, University of Oxford. His research focuses on comparative Indo-European syntax, syntactic reconstruction of Proto-Indo-European, and critical decolonial approaches to Classics and Comparative Philology. He holds a PhD from 2022 on Proto-Indo-European relative clauses and is developing this work into a monograph for Cambridge University Press. His teaching includes undergraduate courses in Linguistics and Classics, as well as language classes in Latin, Ancient Greek, Sanskrit, and Old English. His research spans synchronic and diachronic syntactic analysis across ancient Indo-European languages, with specializations in Latin, Ancient Greek, Sanskrit, and Hittite. His publications explore topics such as clitic placement in Vedic Sanskrit, Wackernagel’s Law in Vedic and Old Irish, and the role of Comparative Philology in rethinking Ancient World Studies. He actively engages with critical theory to challenge traditional disciplinary boundaries in Classics.

• Comparative Indo-European Syntax
• Syntactic Reconstruction
• Proto-Indo-European Studies
• +3 more

Dr. Brian Black is a Senior Lecturer in Politics, Philosophy, and Religion at Lancaster University, UK. He holds an MA and PhD in the Study of Religions from SOAS, University of London. His research focuses on Hinduism, Buddhism, Indian philosophy, and the intersection of religion with ethics, gender, and secularism in South Asia. He teaches courses on Indian religious traditions and comparative philosophy, with a specialization in ancient Indian texts like the Mahābhārata. His recent work examines the philosophical dimensions of narrative structures in South Asian religious texts. He has co-edited volumes on gender in the Mahābhārata and Indian secularism, and is series co-editor of Dialogues in South Asian Traditions . His current projects analyze the relationship between philosophy and narrative in ancient Indian sources. Education: MA and PhD in Study of Religions (SOAS, University of London). Research Interests: Hinduism, Buddhist ethics, comparative philosophy, Indian secularism, gender in religion, and narrative analysis of religious texts. Publications highlight dialogic structures in the Mahābhārata and interdisciplinary approaches to Indian religious thought. Supervision interests include doctoral work on South Asian religions and ethics.

• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• Indian Philosophy
• +7 more

Dr. Bihani Sarkar is a Senior Lecturer in Comparative Non-Western Thought at Lancaster University's Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion. Her expertise spans early Indian politics, religions, and literature (2nd–15th centuries CE), with a focus on Sanskrit and Prakrit sources. She holds a First Class BA (Hons) in English from the University of Oxford, followed by an MPhil and PhD in Classical Indian Religions under Alexis Sanderson. Research Interests: Goddess traditions (Śākta), Sanskrit poetry/drama aesthetics, North Indian classical music, gender studies, and the intersection of religion with power/kingship. Recent projects include reinterpreting classical Sanskrit heroines and analyzing Śākta epigraphy. Awards & Grants: £99k AHRC Research Fellowship (2022-2024), Leverhulme Fellowship (£64,995), and election to the Royal Historical Society (2023). She has published two major books and contributed to over 20 invited lectures/seminars globally. Teaching: Currently teaches courses on Indian philosophical traditions, South Asian goddesses, and religion-state dynamics. Supervises PhD students in Sanskrit literature, comparative religion, and South Asian history.

• History of Indian politics and religions
• Sanskrit literature and drama
• Classical Indian aesthetics
• +4 more

Dr. Nisha Ramayya is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing and Co-Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Queen Mary University of London's School of English and Drama. She holds a BA in English and MA in Poetic Practice from Royal Holloway, University of London, and a PhD in Practice-Based Research from RHUL. Her work bridges experimental poetry, critical race theory, and decolonial studies, focusing on intersections of gender, race, class, and caste in postcolonial contexts. Notable works include States of the Body Produced by Love (Ignota Books, 2019), exploring British-Indian identity through Sanskrit poetics, and Threads (clinic press, 2018), co-authored with Sandeep Parmar and Bhanu Kapil, critiquing whiteness in literary traditions. Ramayya’s research spans Black studies, feminist theory, and visual poetry, with contributions to journals like English: Journal of the English Association . She co-founded the Race & Poetry & Poetics in the UK research group and collaborates with Generative Constraints on interdisciplinary projects such as Break Up Variations . Her creative-critical work often involves ritual, Tantra, and decolonial frameworks, as seen in her contributions to Ignota Books’ projects, including the Ignota Diary 2024 and events like As Above, So Below: Gaia Today (2023). Teaching includes creative writing modules on translation and poetry. She advises doctoral students in experimental poetics, postcolonial literatures, and critical race studies. Ramayya’s activism includes supporting Palestinian solidarity efforts and co-organizing events addressing climate justice and ecological interconnectedness. Labs/Teams: Generative Constraints, Race & Poetry & Poetics in the UK, Ignota Books collaborative network.

• Contemporary and Experimental Poetry
• Postcolonial Studies
• Critical Race Theory
• +7 more

Dr. Karen O'Brien-Kop is a Lecturer in Modern Asian Religions at King’s College London’s Department of Theology & Religious Studies within the Faculty of Arts & Humanities. She holds a PhD from SOAS University of London, focusing on intertextual studies of early South Asian mind-body philosophies. Previously, she served as Senior Teaching Fellow at SOAS and lecturer at the University of Roehampton. Her research focuses on Hinduism and Buddhism, particularly Sanskrit texts like the Patanjalayogasastra and Yogacarabhumisastra. Key interests include mind-body practices, decolonial theory, and the philosophy of religion. She has published extensively in journals such as Journal of Indian Philosophy and co-edited the Routledge Handbook of Yoga and Meditation Studies . Education: PhD in Religion from SOAS University of London Grants: British Academy Small Grant (2025): 'Plant ontologies, material practices, and knowledge circulations in Ayurveda' British Academy Grant (2022–2023): 'Asian Cultural Mobilities' Her recent work explores transreligiosity in South London, Samkhya ontology, and Asian cultural heritage. She advises PhD students on topics like Tibetan Buddhist ontology and somatic experiences in contemplative traditions.

• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• South Asian mind-body philosophies
• +5 more

Professor Fiona Ross is a faculty member in the Department of Typography & Graphic Communication at the University of Reading. Her research focuses on type design theory, history, and practice, with emphasis on non-Latin scripts including Arabic, South Asian, and Thai writing systems. She leads the research project Women in Type: a social history of women's role in type drawing offices, 1910-1990 , funded by the Leverhulme Trust, and serves as curator of the Type Design Collection at Reading. PhD in Indian Palaeography from School of Oriental and African Studies, London University Recipient of SoTA Typography Award (2014) and Type Directors Club Medal (2018) Her research examines design approaches to multi-script typography, the relationship between typefounding tools and visual outcomes, and documentation of collaborative type design processes. She has collaborated with John Hudson (Tiro Typeworks) and Neelakash Kshetrimayum (Brand New Type) for clients including Harvard University Press and Microsoft. Recent publications analyze global typography challenges, non-Latin typeface case studies, and historical transitions in Indian-script type design. Awards recognize her contributions to typography education and non-Latin script preservation. Professional Affiliations: Fellow, Higher Education Authority Fellow, Royal Society of Arts Fellow, Royal Asiatic Society

• Type Design
• Non-Latin Script Typography
• Digital Type Development
• +5 more

Arshad Masood Hashmi serves as a Professor in the Department of Urdu at Jai Prakash University, Chapra, located in Saran, Bihar, India. With a substantial scholarly output of 26 papers and 952 downloads, his work has established him as a significant contributor to Urdu literary studies and South Asian scholarship. Dr. Hashmi's research interests span Comparative Literature, Translation Studies, South Asian Studies, and Aesthetic Criticism, with particular focus on Urdu literary traditions, Islamic feminist perspectives, and cross-cultural translation methodologies. His scholarly contributions demonstrate deep engagement with classical and contemporary Urdu poetry, examining figures ranging from Ghalib to modern poets like Shafiq Fatima Shera and Kishwar Naheed. Analysis of his publication trends reveals consistent scholarly output with increasing focus on contemporary issues in Urdu poetry and the intersection of Islamic thought with feminist theory. His most downloaded work, 'Islam, Prejudiced Western Fiction and Islamic Feminism' (2020), has received 150 downloads, followed by 'Education for Global Citizenship in India and Pakistan' (2018) with 135 downloads. Dr. Hashmi has contributed to numerous academic journals including Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, Khuda Bakhsh Library Journal, and URDUStudies, demonstrating his commitment to advancing scholarly discourse in South Asian literary studies. His work spans literary criticism, educational theory, historical analysis of Urdu literary figures, and examinations of cultural representation across religious and gender lines.

• Comparative Literature
• Translation Studies
• South Asian Studies
• +5 more

Tanvi Solanki is an Associate Professor of German and Comparative Literature at Yonsei University’s Underwood International College in Seoul, South Korea. During 2024–2025, she will be a Visiting Fellow at Clare Hall and the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH) at the University of Cambridge. She earned a BA from the University of Chicago and a PhD in German from Princeton University (2016), followed by a postdoctoral associate role at Cornell University (2016–2018) and visiting positions at the Max Planck Institute, Humboldt University, and the University of London’s School of Advanced Study. Education BA: University of Chicago PhD: Princeton University, Department of German (2016) Her research bridges 18th- and 19th-century German literature and philosophy with interdisciplinary frameworks such as sound studies , media theory , classical reception studies , and linguistic anthropology . She explores canonical formations through the lens of ‘listening to difference’ , analyzing how cultural and linguistic distinctions are constructed via aural practices in literature, sermons, and ethnographic sources. Recent publications include work on J.G. Herder’s aural theories, the BBC’s Listening Project, and colonial philology’s role in shaping racial ideologies. Her awards include grants from Yonsei University, Cornell, Princeton, and the DAAD. She co-edits special issues on dismantling German literary canons and interrogates aural power dynamics in migration contexts. Scientific Awards Yonsei University, Future-Leading Fund for New Faculty (2018–2021) Cornell Society for the Humanities and Andrew W. Mellon Interdisciplinary Writing Group Fellowship (2017–2018) Princeton Center for Digital Humanities Seed Grant (2016) DAAD Graduate Research Scholarship (2012–2013)

• 18th- and 19th-century German literature and philosophy
• Sound studies
• Media theory
• +12 more

Victor D'Avella is a Departmental Lecturer in Sanskrit at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oxford, affiliated with Wolfson College. His research bridges linguistic traditions of India with broader literary, social, and philosophical contexts. His primary research interests include: Theorization of language in Indian traditions (grammar, metrics, poetics, philosophy) Classical Indian languages: Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, and Prakrit Historical intersections between Indology and colonial rule Victor's work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to understanding how language systems evolved alongside cultural and intellectual frameworks in South Asia.

• Linguistic traditions of India
• Grammar (vyākaraṇa)
• Metrics (chandas)
• +8 more