Skip directly to content

Current students

Viraj Aggarwal

viraj-aggarwal-2011
India/UK
Balliol College
2012

Viraj is studying for a BSc in Engineering Science. Viraj is a committee member of the OCHS Leadership Programme.

Iliyana Angelova

Bulgaria
Wolfson College
2013

MSc in Social Anthropology - Oxford University (2009)

Iliyana is pursuing a DPhil in Social Anthropology. Her area of academic focus is Christianity in India. 

Elena Backhouse

UK
Lady Margaret Hall
2014

Ellie is doing a BA in Theology. She is particularly interested in New testament studies and ancient Greek.

Cameron Bailey

USA
Wolfson College
2013

Cameron is studying for a D.phil. at the Oriental Institute. His main fields of interest are Tibetan and Indian Buddhism and Tantrism.

Samvartika Bajpai

Canada
University College
2012

Samvartika is studying History at University College.

Kalpesh Bhatt

India
2015

Kalpesh is a visiting student. he is studying Hindu theology, anthropology, and South Asian religious traditions.

Shoumik Bhattacharya

India
Wadham College
2014

Shoumik is studying English and Oriental Studies.

Gautam Bhanu Prasant Bondada

United Kingdom
Jesus College
2017

Gautam is a DPhil student studying Archaeology, his main areas of interest or Archaeology, History, Anthropology, Sociology and Numismatics 

Josephine Brill

USA
Wolfson College
2012

BA in Mathematics and Economics - Drake University (1980)

MA in Economics - Cornell University (1984)

Josephine is studying for a MSt in Oriental Studies. Her areas of focus are Sanskrit, Sastra, Genre and Metarules.  

Peter Thabiso Bustraan

Netherlands
Wolfson College
2013

BA in Religious Studies - Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Netherlands (2013)

Peter is currently working towards an MPhil in Classical Indian Religion. His main areas of academic concentration are Sanskrit, the political and social history of India and research on Moksa.

Shaunna Calpin

Netherlands
Pembroke College
2014

Shaunna is studying towards an M.St. in religion.

Seema Chauhan

England
Wolfson College
2013

BA in Religious and Theological Studies - Cardiff University (2013)

Seema is currently studying for an M.Phil. in Classical Indian Religions. Her main areas of academic concentration are Sanskrit, Vaisnavism and Saivism, and Indian narrative traditions.

Ida Danewid

Sweden
Lady Margaret Hall
2012

Ida is studying for a MPhil in International Relations. Her areas of interest are International Political Theory and Global Ethics.

Aniket De

India
Pembroke College
2015

Aniket is a visiting student from Tufts.

Monica Desai

UK
Wolfson College
2016

Monica is studying for an MPhil in General linguistics and Comparative Philology. She is particularly interested in Vedic linguistics, especially relating to the Ṛgveda.

Hope Edwards

UK
Mansfield College
2015

Hope is studying Religion.

Dorte Effersoe Martens

Denmark
2014

Dorte is a visitng student from Aarhus University, Denmark. She is studying Hinduism and Sanskrit.

Silje Lyngar Einarsen

Norway
2014

BA in Sanskrit and Religious Studies - University of Oslo (2009)
MA in Sanskrit and Religious Studies - University of Aarhus (2012)

Silje is a visiting student for Trinity, 2014.

 

Christopher Fleming

USA
Balliol College
2015

Christopher is pursuing a D.Phil. in Sanskrit. He is also studying Dharmasastra.

Thomas Ford

USA
Brasenose College
2016

Thomas is a visiting student in Religious Studies from Stanford. 

Samuel Maxwell Grimes

USA
Wolfson College
2014

Samuel is pursuing an M.Phil. in Calssical Indian Religion conecntrating on Saivism. He has an MA in Asian Religion from the University of Hawaii.

Saba Halepota

UK
St Antony's College
2015

Saba is studying for an M.Phil. in Modern South Asian Studies.

Lisette Hededal Hansen

Denmark
2017

Lisette is a visiting student from Aarhus, Denmark. She is studying phenomenology and hermeneutics with Dr Jessica Frazier, and Pāli with Dr Wernicke-Olesen who also supervises her master’s thesis on how Mahāyāna Buddhism can be considered as a post-axial phenomenon.

Alan Herbert

England
St Stephen's House
2013

BA in Philosophy - University of Hawaii, Minoa (2011)

MA in Philosophy - University of Hawaii, Minoa (2011)

Alan is currently studying for a DPhil in Theology. His main areas of focus are Jiva Gosvami, and the role of imagination in religious experience.

Anahita Hoose

UK
Balliol College
2015

Anahita is studying Linguistics and Comparative Philology. Her concentration is on linguistics, Latin, Old English, and Sanskrit philology.

Samuel Horsley

UK
Balliol College
2015

Samuel is pursuing a BA in Theology. His concentration is yoga, tantra, Buddhism, and animal ethics.

Phoebe Hunt

UK
Pembroke College
2013

Phoebe is doing a BA in Sanskrit. Her main interests are India and Tibet.

Tanja Louise Jakobsen

Denmark
2017

Tanja has a BA in the Study of Religions from Aarhus University and is an OCHS student since Michaelmas Term 2016. She is interested in Modern South Asian Studies and International Studies as well as Hinduism and Sanskrit with a focus on women and Haṭhayoga. She is Creative Manager on a translation project of the Haṭhapradīpīka in Danish and has been an intern at the OCHS in Trinity Term 2017, amongst other things responsible for the OCHS Facebook page.

Khushwant R James

United Kingdom
St John's College
2017

Khushwant is studying for a BA in Oriental Studies in Sansskrit and Hindi with main focus on Sanskrit.

Matthew James Martin

UK
Wolfson College
2012

BA in Religious and Theological Studies - Cardiff University (2012)

 

Matthew is studying for a MSt in Study of Religion. His areas of academic interest are Hindu and Buddhist traditions and Anthropology of Religion.

Mr Harrison Jones

2018

Harrison completed his undergraduation in Theology at the University of Cambridge.  He is now pursuing his Masters at Pembroke College at Oxford with concentration on Modern Vedanta, Buddhism and Nineteenth Century India

Gayathiri Kamalakanthan

UK
Worcester College
2013

Gayathiri is pursuing a BA in Theology. Her areas of academic concentration are Hinduism and the Nature of Religion.

Brunda Karanam

India
Worcester College
2012

BA Honours in Law - National Law School of India University (2011)

Brunda is studying Law at Worcester College.

Casey Alexandra Kemp

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

Emily Kilburn

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.

Liberty King

UK
Jesus College
2014

Liberty is studying Philosophy and Theology

Anthony King

England
Blackfriars
2013

BA in Study of Religion - SOAS (2013)

Anthony is studying for a MSt in Study of Religion. He is particularly interested in Modern Hinduism and Vaishnavism.

 

Ameer Kotecha

Ameer Kotecha
UK
St Peter's College
2012

Ameer is studying for a BA in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics with a focus on International Relations, Religion, Ethics and Politics in Africa. Ameer is Director of the OCHS Leadership Programme.

Rahul Kulka

Germany
St Hugh's College
2012

Rahul is pursuing a BA in History. His area of focus is the Early Modern History of Europe.

Monish Kulkarni

UK
Lincoln College
2012

Monish is studying History. He is particularly interested in British and Indian History.

Hari Kumar

USA
Wolfson College
2014

Hari is is studying for an M.St. on contemporary India with a focus on Indian development and politics.

Asho Kumar

Singapore
2016

Asho is studying for  D.Phil through Oxford Centre for Mission Studies.

Shreya Lakhani

UK
Balliol College
2016

Shreya is pursuing a BA in Sanskrit.

Dr James Michael Madaio

USA
2017

James has a Phd in Religions and Theology from the University of Manchester with a major focus on Advaita Vedanta

Sasidhar Madugula

UK
The Queen's College
2012

Sasidhar is pursuing a MSc in Neuroscience at The Queen's College.

Anica Mann

India
St Cross College
2013

Anica is pursuing an M.Phil. in Classical Indian Religions. Her concentration is in Buddhism, Saivism, Yogini culture, and temples in India and Southeast Asia

Sriharsha Masabathula

Lady Margaret Hall
2017

Sriharsha has completed his degree in Economics and Philosophy in USA and is now working towards his Masters in Public Policy.

Anirudh Mathur

UK
Balliol College
2012

Anirudh is studying for a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE). 

OCHS Awards:
Patel Book Grant

Matthew Carlos

UK
Balliol College
2015

Matthew is pursuing a D,Phil in Theology and Religious Studies. His concentration is on monasticism, philosophy, and archaeology. 

Joe McGee

UK
St Peter's College
2015

Joe is studying Theology, concentrating on Hinduism and Judaism.

Rutej Mehta

Ireland
St John's College
2013

Rutej is currently striving towards an MEng in Engineering Science. 

James Michael Macdonagh

UK
Regent's Park College
2012

 James is pursuing a BA in Theology. His main areas of interest are Hinduism and Sociology of Religion.  

Dr Alok K Mishra

India
2012

PhD in Psychometric Disorder

MSt in Philosophy

MSt in Clinical Psycology

College: Oxford Department of International Development

Dr Mishra is studying Statelessness and International Law. His area of academic interest is International Development.

 

 

 

Prakhar Misra

United Kingdom
Trinity College
2017

Prakhar is prusuing a Masters degree in Public Policy with special concentration on Policy and Economics.

Lena Molin

Denmark
2016

Lena is a visting student from Denmark. She is studying with Dr Bjarne Wernicke-Olesen and Dr Jessica Frazier.

Molly Ann Moore

UK
Christ Church
2016

Molly is studying for a BA in Theology and Religion

Shubha Shantha Murthy

England
Linacre College
2013

BA in Engineering - Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad (1990)

Shubha is currently studying for an MPhil in Classical Indian Religion. 

 

 

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.

Lobsang Nyima Laurent

UK
Wolfson College
2014

MA in Archaeology, Ancient History and Engish - University of Lausanne (2003)

Lobsang is pursuing a D.Phil. in Oriental Studies. His field is Tibetan and Himalayan Studies.

Nikhil Pandhi

India
Jesus College
2015

Nikhil is studying for an M.Phil. in archaeology wiht a focus on South Asian Studies.

Shanna Patel

UK
St Cross College
2012

Shanna is pursuing a MSc in Contemporary India. Her areas of interest are Indian Politics since 1947, Indian Political Economy and Human Development in India.

Kirtan Patel

UK
Mansfield College
2012

Kirtan is studying History at Mansfield College.

Sunit Patel

England
Wolfson College
2013

MA in Indian Religion - SOAS (2013)

BSc in Computer Science - Queen Mary University, London (2002)

Sunit is currently pursuing a DPhil in Theology. His area of academic concentration is Hinduism.

Charlotte Pence

USA
St Catherine's College
2014

Charlotte is studying English and philosophy.

Sridhar Poddar

India
Regent's Park College
2013

Sridhar is currently on a visiting programme, focusing on English and Economics.

Olivia Porter

UK
Pembroke College
2013

Olivia is studying Sanskrit and Oriental Studies.

Gitte Poulsen

Denmark
2015

BA in the Study of Religion – Aarhus University

Gitte’s interests are primarily related to the study of yoga, especially in the context of tantric Śāktism and Śaivism. Her interest in yoga is both philological and anthropological, and ranges from studies of traditional yogis and yoginis to work on modern yoga practitioners. She is a participant in the Haṭhayogapradīpikā translation project led by Dr Bjarne Wernicke-Olesen and Silje Lyngar Einarsen, and she is associated with the Śākta Traditions project.

Harshavardhan Raghunandan

India
Wadham College
2016

Harshavardhan is studying theology and the history of South Asia.

Brinda Raval

United States
Wadham College
2017

Brinda is a visiting/exchange student of chemistry, psychology, history and theology at Wadham College, Oxford.

Anna Rawlings

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 also has an interest in Islam, writing the particular and universal aspects of Islam into a single narrative.

Rhianna Reechaye

UK
St Peter's College
2016

Rhianna is studying Theology and Religion, specifically Hinduism and the nature of religion.

Ushaben Reifsnider

UK
2016

Ushaben is studying for a D.Phil through Oxford Centre for Mission Studies.

Samuele Rizzoli

Italy
2017

Samuele is a visiting student from the University of Bologna in Italy.  His main areas of academic concentration at Oxford are the Philosophy of Religion and Interfaith Studies.  He's currently a postgraduate student in International Relations..

Megan Robb

Megan Robb
USA
New College
2013

MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies - Oxford University (2010)

BA in Indian studies and English literature - Indiana University (2008)

 

Megan is studying for a DPhil in Oriental Studies. Her areas of academic studies are South Asian Studies and the History of Islam in South Asia. 

Abishek Sankaranarayan

India
Brasenose College
2017

Abishek is pursuing a masters degree In Environment, studing water, science policy and management.

Yash Saraf

India
2016

Yash is a visiting student from Stanford. He is studying Hinduism and Literature.

Vibha Selvaratnam

UK
Oriel College
2012

Vibha is studying Mathematics at Oriel College. Her area of academic interest is Mathematical Models in Fluid Dynamics.

Anwesha Sengupta

India
St Catherine's College
2016

Anwesha is studying for an M.Phil. in Modern South Asian Studies. Her focus is on the history of India, Persian, Brajbhasha, and Bengali.

Swati Seshadri

UK
St Hugh's College
2012

Swati is studying for a BA in Engineering. She helped establish the Oxford Indian Classical Arts Society (OICAS).

Sagar Shah

Sagar Shah
Belgium
St Catherine's College
2012

Sagar is study for a BSc in Engineering Science. Sagar is a committe member of the OCHS Leadership Programme.

Rajan Shah

UK
St Hugh's College
2012

Rajan is studying for a BA in Classics.

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.

Vishakha Sharma

2016

Vishakha is a visting student from the University of Copenhagen. Her field is Hinduism and Ecology.

Aadya Shukla

UK
2015

Aady is studying Computer Science.

Mahaveer Singhvi

India
New College
2012

MBA in Management and Law - University of Delhi (2008)

Mahaveer is pursing a Masters in Diplomatic Studies. His areas of interest are International Law and International Relations.

 

Pavlo Smytsnyuk

Ukraine
Campion Hall
2013

BA in Philosophy and Theology - Gregorian University, Rome (2005)

MA in Theology - National University of Athens (2010)

Pavlov is currently studying for a DPhil in Theology. His main areas of interest are Greek Orthodox Theology, Hinduism, Nationalism, and the relationship between the Church and the State.

Finlay Stroud

UK
Lady Margaret Hall
2015

Finlay is studying philosophy, theology, and religious studies.

Priya Sury

USA
Balliol College
2013

Priya Sury is studying for a Masters in the Study of Religions. Her areas of academic interests are Hinduism and Buddhism. 

Suzanne Sutton

USA
2015

Suzanne is studying Islamic poetics and architecture.

Sophie Von Der Tann

sophie-von-der-tann
Germany
St Peter's College
2012

Sophie is studying for a BA in Theology and Oriental Studies.

Chirayu Thakkar

India
2017

Chirayu is doing his MSc in Modern South Asian Studies at Oxford.  He did his Bachelors at the University of Chester in Hinduism

Jens Christian Thorstensen

Denmark
2014

Jens is a visiting student from the University of Aarhus. He is studying hermeneutins and Sanskrit.

Mr Arthur Vickers

2018

Arthur is currently studying for a Bachelor's degree in Theology and Religion at Trinity College  

Tariq Waris

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.

Aleksandra Wenta

Poland
Wolfson College
2014

Aleksandra is studying for an M.Phil. in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies, specifically in Shaivism and Tibetan Buddhism. She also has a Ph.D. in in Agama-Tantra from Banaras Hindu University.

William Westerman

USA
Christ Church
2014

William is studying English, Japanese Linguistics, and Buddhism

Derek Wolter

USA
New College
2014

Derek is studying transpersonal psychology and Hinduism.

Lucian Wong

Singapore
Mansfield College
2010
Lucian Wong is a DPhil candidate in Theology at the University of Oxford, Faculty of Theology and Religion. He holds a BA in Philosophy from University College London and an MA in Indian Religions from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. His doctoral thesis explores the theme of epistemic rupture in relation to the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava tradition in colonial Bengal, with special reference to the life and thought of the prominent late nineteenth-century Vaiṣṇava figure Kedarnath Datta Bhaktivinod. He offers tutorials in Hinduism for Oxford’s Faculty of Theology and Religion, as well as readings in Middle Bengali and Phenomenology at the OCHS. He is co-leader of the OCHS Bengali Vaiṣṇavism in the Modern Period research project and a member of the Centre’s Academic Planning Committee.

Research

Hindu Studies; Modern Hindu intellectual history; Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava theology and history; Middle Bengali literature; Phenomenology. 

Publication

Peer-reviewed journals

“Universalising Inclusivism—and its Limits: Bhaktivinod and the Experiential Turn.” Journal of South Asian Intellectual History 1, 2018.

“Against Vaiṣṇava Deviance: Brāhmaṇical and Bhadralok Alliance in Bengal.” Religions 9, 2018

“Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Studies: Mapping the Field.” Religions of South Asia 9, 2016.

“Negotiating History in Colonial Bengal: Bhaktivinod’s Kṛṣṇa-saṁhitā.” Journal of Hindu Studies 7, 2014.  

Edited volumes

The Legacy of Vaiṣṇavism in Colonial Bengal. Eds. Ferdinando Sardella and Lucian Wong. Abingdon: Routledge, forthcoming.

Email: lucian@ochs.org.uk

Academia.edu: https://oxford.academia.edu/LucianWong

    
OCHS Awards:
Jiva Goswami Scholarship

Dr Haisen Zhang

China
St Hugh's College
2017

Haisen is currently working on Contemporary China Studies Programme, School of Interdisciplinary Area Studies, and his main area of interest is (Hinduism) Eastern Religions and International Development of China and India.

Anaterina Zhelenkova

2017

Anaterina, originally from Russia, is pursuing her MSc in South Asian Studies at Oxford.

Quek Jian Zhz Jared

Singapore
Mansfield College
2016

Quek is studying Hinduism and Christianity.

Clarisse Zoulim

France
St Catherine's College
2012

MPhil in Philosophy - Paris-Sorbonne University

MA in Philosophy - University College London (2010)

 

Clarisse is a visiting student from Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris. She is currently studying Philosophy at St Catherine's College. During her stay in Oxford, Clarisse is the French Lectrice to undergraduate students, at both St. Catherine's College and Wadham College.