Current students

Rahul Ahluwalia
UK
St Benet's Hall
2009

Rahul is studying for a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE), with a focus on International Relations, International Economics, and the Politics of China and South Asia.

 


Rebecca Aier
USA
Magdalen College
2011 (Michaelmas Term)

 
Rebecca is studying for a BA in International Relations at Stanford University.
She is studying Philosophy of Eastern Religions while at Oxford.

 


Nirav Yogesh Piyush Amin
UK
Kellogg College
2011

 

Psychiatric Anthropology - Harvard Medical School (2006)
MBBS - Bart's and the London School of Medicine, Queen Mary's University of London (2008 - 2013)
 
Nirav is currently taking one year out of his MBBS degree to pursue an MSc in Social Anthropology. His areas of interest are Anthropology of Religion, Hinduism in the Modern Era, and Diaspora studies.

Nayan Ashwin Bedia
UK
Wolfson College
2011
 
BA in History - Brunel University (2006)
MA in Religion - SOAS (2008)
MA in History - SOAS (2011)
 
Nayan is pursuing a D. Phil. in Oriental Studies. His area of academic interest is Hindi literature with a focus on the ideas and representation of auxiliary Gods, Krsna and Siva in the works of Rama-Bhakta Tulsidas.

Jason Birch
Australia
Balliol College
2009

Bachelor of Commerce - University of Sydney (1996)
BA (Honours) - University of Sydney (2005)
 
Jason is pursuing a D.Phil. in Oriental Studies with a focus on Sanskrit and Yoga.

Hrvoje Cargonja
Croatia
2009

MSc in Molecular Biology - University of Zagreb (2002)
 
Hrvoje is visiting from the University of Zagreb on the OSI/FCO Chevening Programme. He is pursuing a PhD in the anthropology of religion with a focus on religious experience.
 
Awards
Damji Devji Pattni - 2011 (OCHS)
Jiva Goswami Scholarship - 2010 (OCHS)
Chevining Scholarship - 2009 to 2010

Abbie Cavanagh
UK
Regent's Park College
2011

Abbie is studying for a BA in Theology. Part of her studies involve Hinduism.

Massimo Ce
Switzerland
Magdalen College
 
Massimo is studying for a BA in Classics with a focus on classical languages, literature and philosophy.

Ka-Kin Cheuk
China
St Antony's College
2010

B.S.Sc in Anthropology - The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2006)
M.Phil. in Anthropology - The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2008)
 
Ka-Kin is working towards a D.Phil. in Social and Cultural Anthropology. His research interests currently focus on two disparate yet interrelated topics. The first includes a longitudinal ethnographic study of Sikhs in Hong Kong. 
His second research topic relates to Indian textile traders in China. It seeks to explain how and why Shaoxing in Zhejiang Province, China, has recently become a global textile-trading hub in which a substantial number of Indian traders can be found. 
 
Awards
Chinese Research Travel Award, School of Interdisciplinary Area Studies - 2011
Gupta Dan - 2011 (OCHS)
The Carr & Stahl Travel Funds, St. Antony's College - 2011
The Oxford and Cambridge Society of Hong Kong Scholarship - 2011
Chinese Research Travel Award, School of Interdisciplinary Area Studies - 2010
The Au Ping-Reyes Graduate Research and Travel grant, China Centre - 2010
Swire Cathay Pacific Scholarship, St. Antony's College - 2009 to 2013
Research Postgraduate Studentship, The Chinese University of Hong Kong - 2006 to 2008
Mr Y.S. Hui Postgraduate Scholarship, The Chinese University of Hong Kong - 2006 to 2008
CASH Scholarship, The Chinese University of Hong Kong - 2004
Mr Y.S. Hui Memorial Scholarship, The Chinese University of Hong Kong - 2004 to 2006

Tiffany Donohue
USA
Blackfriars Hall
2011 (Michaelmas Term)
 
Tiffany is studying History, Theology and Philosophy at Oxford.

Brian Dunn
Canada
Regent's Park College
2010
 
BA in Religious Studies - Lakehead University (1994)
MSt in Study of Religion - University of Oxford (2005)
 
Brian is studying for his D.Phil. in Theology. His main areas of interest are comparative theology, Ramanuja, Srivaisnava and Visistadvaitin thought, Anglican sacramental theology, and second-century patrisitcs.

Tristan Edward Elby
UK
St. Cross College
2009

BA in Theology of Religious Studies - Cambridge University (2008)
MSt in The Study of Religion - St Peter's College, University of Oxford (2009)
 
Tristan is working on his D.Phil in Theology. His areas of interest are Hindu conceptions of 'sacred time', the 'renouncer' traditions, and Hindu and Buddhist tantric traditions.
 
Awards
Ram Lal Patel - 2008 (OCHS)
Ram Lal Patel - 2009 (OCHS)
Patel Book Grant - 2009 (OCHS)
Pundit Abaji - 2010 (OCHS)
Prof. Makhanlal Roy Chaudury Bookgrant - 2010 (OCHS)
Ford - 2011 (OCHS)

Paul Gerstmayr
Germany
Balliol College
2010
 
Paul is studying for a BA in Sanskrit and Oriental Studies. His main interests are Sanskrit, Indology, and comparative religion.
 
Awards
Ambalal Patel - 2010 (OCHS)
Bhartiben Banupai Patel - 2011 (OCHS)
 

Frances Girling
United Kingdom
Regent's Park College
2011
 
Frances is studying for a BA in Theology.

Corin Golding
UK
Wolfson College
2009
 
BA in Hindi and Study of Religions - SOAS (2004)
MA in Buddhist Studies - SOAS (2007)
 
Corin is pursuing a D.Phil. in Oriental Studies. His focus is on religious interaction in the Himalayas and the anthropology of the Indian and Tibetan Himalaya.
 
Awards
Ramlal Patel - 2008 (OCHS)
Ramlal Patel - 2009 (OCHS)
Gupta Dan - 2010 (OCHS)
Hansraj and Kanchanben Popat  - 2011 (OCHS)

Gopal Hari Gupta
USA
The Queen's College
2005

BSc in Electrical Engineering - Boise State University (2001)
MSc in Artificial Intelligence - Boise State University (2004)
MSt in Science and Religion - Oxford University (2009)
 
Gopal is pursuing a DPhil in science and Hinduism. His research interests include conceptions of conciousness, nature and divine agency in classical Hindu thought.
 
Awards
United States Achievements Academy National Engineering Collegiate Award  - 2001
Clarendon Fund Scholarship, University of Oxford
Cyril and Phillis Long Studentship, Queen's College
Jiva Goswami Scholarship - 2011 (OCHS)
 

Verena Hanna Meyer
Germany
Oriel College
2011

MA in Philosophy - Universitat Passau (2011)
 
Verena is currently pursuing an M St in the Study of Religion focusing on Hinduism and Buddhism.

Elliot Hulme
Australia
Wolfson College
2010

BA in Art History and Philosophy - University of Western Australia (1999)
Masters in Film and Television Production - Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (2006)
 
Elliot is studying for an M.St. in the Study of Religion with a focus on Buddhism and Hinduism.

Devika Jina
UK
Oriel College
2011

BA in Philosophy - Heythrop College, University of London (2011)
 
Devika is pursuing an MSt in the Study of Religion. Her area of academic concentration is Hinduism and Chiristianity.

Chris Jones
UK
Wolfson College
2010

BA in Theology and Religious Studies - Cambridge University (2007)
MPhil in Classical Indian Religion - Oxford University (2009)
 
Chris is studying for a D.Phil. in Buddhist Studies focusing on Indo Tibetan Tathagatagarbha literature.
 

Casey Alexandra Kemp
USA
Wolfson College
2011
 
BA in Religious Studies - University of Canterbury, NZ (2007)
M.Phil in Religious Studies - University of Oxford (2009)
 
Casey is pursuing a D.Phil. in Buddhist studies. Her areas of academic concentration include Tantra, and Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy.

Emily Kilburn
UK
University College
2011

MSc RS in Structuralism - Edinburgh University (2009)
MA RS in Renunciation - Edinburgh University (2010)
 
Emily is pursuing a DPhil in theology. Her research areas include Aurobindo, Auroville, Utopian theory, Samkhya, structuralism, semiotics and Sanskrit

Meijia Ling
UK
Wadham College
2010
 
Meijia is studying for a BA in Sanskrit.
 
Awards
Ashvatta Narayan - 2010 (OCHS)
Pundit Abaji - 2011 (OCHS)

Yuge Ma
China
Wolfson College
2011
 
MSc in Contemporary Indian Study - Tsinghua University
                                                       - Jawaharlal Nehru University

Avni Mehta
UK
St. Cross College
2011

BA in Study of Religion (Eastern and Western Philosophy, Hinduism and gender) - SOAS (2011)
 
Avni is pursuing an MPhil in Modern South Asian studies concentrating on Sanskrit and Hinduism identity and gender.

Hursh Mehta
UK
New College
2011

 
Hursh is studying for a BA in Modern Languages with a focus on the language and literature of Russia and Spain.
 

Bhavnisha Modi
UK
St Anne's College
2011

Bhavnisha is studying for a BA in the classics and Sanskrit
 

Ionut Moise
Romania
Wolfson College
2011

BA in Theology - University of Bucharest (2006)
MRes in 'Sciences des Religions' - Université de Strasbourg (2008)
MA in Theology - The Orthodox Institute for Christian Studies, Cambridge (2010)
 
Ionut is pursuing an MSt in the Study of Religion, focusing on Hinduism, Indian Christianity and Vedic Cosmology. His thesis title is 'Self in Early Vaiseshika'.
 
Awards
Spalding Trust (2010)
Teape Trust (2011)

Amy Norman
UK
Wolfson College
2011
 
MA (Honours) in Religious Studies - University of Aberdeen (2011)
 
Amy is currently pursuing an MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies. Her areas of academic concentration include Sanskrit, and Buddhism and gender identity.

Kyle Patrick O'Brien
USA
Blackfriars Hall
2011 (Michaelmas Term)

BA in Politics- University of San Francisco (2009-2013)
 
While at Oxford Kyle will be concentrating on Theology, Philosophy and English Literature

Ramesh Pattni
UK
Blackfriars Hall
2010

BSc (Joint Honors) in Biochemistry and Physiology - King's College, University of London (1978)
MBA - International Management Centre (1986)
MA in Psychology of Religion - Heythrop College, University of London (2010)
MSt in Study of Religion - Oxford University (2011)
 
Ramesh is pursuing a DPhil on the psychology of Yoga and is developing a model of Well-being and flow in positive psychology.
 
Public Positions Held
Chair of Interfaith committee - Hindu Forum of Britain
Co-chair - Hindu Christian Forum
Secretary - Council of Dharmic Faiths
Trustee - Chinmaya Mission, UK
Trustee - Faith Based Regeneration Network
Trustee - Faiths and Beliefs in Further Education

Brainerd Prince
India
2010

Bachelor of Commerce - Delhi University (1994)
MA in English - Himachal University (1997)
BA in Divinity - Serampore University, Pune (2001)
 
Brainerd is pursuing a PhD on Sri Aurobindo's philosophy of religion with a working title:  Embodied Spirit: A Hermeneutical Reading of Aurobindo’s Integral Philosophy with Implications for the Study of Religion under Professor Gavin Flood, Oxford University. Apart from his work on Sri Aurobindo, his research interests include Hermeneutics, Phenomenology and the Academic Study of Religion.
 
Awards
Langham Partnership Scholarship - 2011

Sweta Rana
UK
St Peter's College
2011
 
Sweta is studying Philosophy and Theology, concentrating on History of Philosophy and Philosophy of Religion.

Sheena Rastogi
USA
Trinity College
2011 (Michaelmas Term)

Sheena is pursuing a BSc in Biology of Medicine from the College of New Jersey. She is studying Endocrinology and Philosophy of Hinduism at Oxford.

Anna Rawlings
UK
Mansfield College
2010

 

Anna's studies include a spatial analysis of Hindutva, the relationship between the brahman, renouncer and king in Hindu society and narrative analysis with reference to subalternity. She aslo has an interest in Islam, writing the particular and universal aspects of Islam into a single narrative.

Noelle Richardson
UK
Wolfson College
2011

BA in Politics and International Relations - Royal Holloway (2010)
 
Noelle is pursuing an MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies. Her areas of academic concentration in Oxford are intellectual history of India, Hindu Philosophy and the Indian caste system.
 

John Schiepers
USA
Balliol College
2011
 
BA in Classics - Trinity College, Dublin (2010)
 
John is pursuing a BA in Sanskrit.

Rohana Seneviratne
Sri Lanka
Pembroke College
2011

BA in Sanskrit - University of Peradeniya (2005)
MPhil in Philosophy of Language - University of Liverpool (2009)
 
Rohana is studying for a DPhil in Sanskrit. His major research interests include Philosophy of Language, Vedic and Classical Sanskrit Grammar and Semantics.

Jaideep Shah
UK
Wolfson College
2011
 
BSc in Government and Economics - LSE
MA in Postcolonial Studies - University College of London
 
Jaideep is pursuing an MPhil in Classical Indian Religions with a focus on Indian and Western philosophy.

Naama Shalom
Israel
Balliol College
2008

 

MA in Sanskrit and Hindu Studies - Hebrew University
 
Naamas DPhil topic is the Mahabharata.
 
Awards
Ashvatta Narayana - 2009 (OCHS)

Vivek Anand Sharma
UK
Mansfield College
2011

Vivek is studying for a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE). His areas of academic concentration are Knowledge and Reality and Philosophy of the Mind.

Divya Sharma
USA
Christ Church College
2011

Divya is pursuing her BSc and MD in an accelerated program at The College of New Jersey and New Jersey Medical School.
She is studying Medical Sciences, Hindu Philosophy of Human Science, and Public Health at Oxford.
 

Sahasrangshu Sinha
India
St. Cross College
2011
 
B.Tech in IT and Computer Engineering - University of Kalyani (2004)
 
Sahasrangshu is studying for an MBA in finance and Entrepreneurship. He is interested in the study of the History of Hinduism.

William David Soud
USA
2010

BA in English - Davidson College
MA in English - University of Delaware
 
David is currently pursuing a D.Phil in English. His research focuses on religious conversion and commitment, spiritual practice, and the notions of the self and the Absolute in the later poetry of W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot and David Jones. He shares with Yeats and Eliot an abiding interest in Indic traditions, especially Kashmir Shaivism and Raja Yoga.

Jay Swain
India
Exeter College
2011
 
Jay is studying for a bachelor's degree in law.

Sumil Thakkar
UK
Balliol College
2010
 
Sumit is studying for a BA in the Philosophy of Physics.

Sitara Thobani
Canada
St Antony's College
2010
 
BA in Anthropology - University of British Columbia (2007)
MA in South Asian Studies - University of Toronto (2008)
 
Sitara is studying for a D.Phil. in Social/Cultural Anthropology. Her areas of interest include South Asian Diaspora Studies and Indian Classical Dance.
 
Awards
Patel Bookgrant - 2011 (OCHS)

Tariq Waris
Pakistan
St. Stephen's House
2011

BA Honours in Theology (History of Christianity in the Indian sub-continent) - London School of Theology (2010)
 
Tariq is studying for an MSt in the Study of Religion with a focus on Christian - Muslim studies in South Asia.

Holly Welsh
UK
Regents Park College
2010

Holly is studying for a BA in Theology.


Cyril Wohrer
France
Wolfson College
2011

 

BA in Religious Studies (South Asian studies) - University of California, Santa Barbara (2011)
 
He is pursuing an MSt in the Study of Religion and his areas of interest are Hinduism and Christianity.

Lucian Wong
Mansfield College
2010

BA in Philosophy (Indian Philosophy) - University College London (2006)
MA in Indian Religion (Caitanya Vaisnavism) - SOAS (2008)
 
Lucian is pursuing a DPhil in theology, particularly looking at 19th Century Vaisnavism.
 
Awards
Ramlal Patel - 2011 (OCHS)