Elizabeth Chalier-Visuvalingam

Elizabeth Chalier-Visuvalingam is a Lecturer in Liberal Arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) since 2007. She holds doctorates in Indology, Philosophy, and Anthropology from Banaras Hindu University and the University of Paris X, France, including a D.Litt. in Humanities (1995). Her postdoctoral research included a Senior Visiting Fellowship at Harvard University’s Sanskrit Department (1990–1992).

Education: MA Ethnology (1975, University of Paris X), PhD Indian Philosophy (1983, Banaras Hindu University), D.Litt. Humanities (1995, University of Paris X with highest honors). She has taught at Boston University and Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest.

Her research focuses on intersections between French and Indian philosophies, minority literatures (especially Jewish communities in India), and postcolonial cultural dynamics. Her work employs ethnographic and comparative methods, with fieldwork in Kathmandu Valley, Banaras, and other South Asian regions. Notable publications include Criminal Gods and Demon Devotees and a 2003 Peter Lang-published D.Litt. dissertation.

• Current courses: French Language & Culture, Western Philosophy, French Literature
• Awards: Lavoisier Fellowship (Harvard), Bourse de La Vocation

Her academic contributions bridge continental philosophy (Derrida, Foucault) with South Asian thought (Abhinavagupta), emphasizing cross-cultural dialogue and marginalized narratives.