معرفی
Asifa Majid is a Professor of Cognitive Science at the University of Oxford's Department of Experimental Psychology. She holds affiliated positions at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics and the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour. Her research focuses on language, cognition, and cross-cultural variation in semantic categories. Majid has held senior roles at the University of York and Radboud University Nijmegen.
Education:
- PhD in Psychology (2001), University of Glasgow
- MSc in Cognitive Science and Natural Language (1997), University of Edinburgh
- MA (Hons) First Class in Psychology with Philosophy (1996), University of Glasgow
Research Interests: Majid investigates how language shapes thought, with particular attention to cross-linguistic comparisons of semantic categories (e.g., color, olfaction, action verbs). Her work combines experimental psychology, field linguistics, and anthropological methods to explore cognitive diversity across cultures. She has conducted extensive fieldwork with Jahai (Malaysia) and Punjabi (Pakistan) communities.
Awards & Grants:
- NWO Vici (2012–2017): €1.5M for innovative research leadership
- NWO Gravitation Program (2013–2023): €27.6M national consortium PI
- Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study Fellowship (2012)
Professional Activities: She has held visiting roles at institutions including Columbia University, University of Massachusetts, and Max Planck Institutes. Her lab collaborates internationally on projects like the Hunter-Gatherers and Semantic Categories workshop (2010).
