[Reader-list] Fwd: Oxford Recognition Opens New Window on Hindu Culture

[Zulfiqar Shah]

Fwd. massage
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  Oxford Recognition Opens New Window on Hindu Culture
   
  Oxford University has granted the status of Recognised Independent Centre to the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (OCHS) - the world's leading centre for the study of Hindu traditions.
   
  OCHS is the younger of the first two institutions to be granted this status by Oxford University. It comes after just seven years of teaching, publishing and conducting research about all aspects of Hindu culture. 
   
  The new formal status, "Recognised Independent Centre of Oxford University", has been created by Oxford University to acknowledge independent institutions that are working with the University in research and teaching. 
   
  Prof Gavin Flood, Academic Director of the Centre, spoke of the significance of the Centre's new status: "Recognised Independent Centre of Oxford University is a title we are proud to bear. It is an official recognition by Oxford University that we are its principal provider in the field of Hindu Studies, and thus a duly constituted member of the University's community." He added: "This development is important because culture and religion are of fundamental public concern as we move into the twenty-first century. We see this concern particularly in questions of identity politics, the degree to which diverse communities share common values, and the ways in which ethical codes interact with secular law." 
   
  This new recognition is one of a growing number of creative partnerships between independent centres and universities. It is a response to the need for new resources and perspectives in the academic world. 
   
  The recognition also shows that the academic world is now acknowledging its need for help from centres that can link distinct communities and cultures with scholars, government and media in a critically sophisticated way. 
   
  This comes at a time when funding commitments to higher education are of national and international concern. By establishing this new status Oxford University is continuing its commitment to innovation and co-operation in scholarship, but also affirming a support for greater diversity. 
   
  The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies is one of the world's leading academic centres for the study of Hinduism. It attracts students from all over the world, including many practising Hindus. It marks the beginning of a vibrant association of scholars in Hindu studies. This may prove to be an important model for enabling emerging communities to face issues of modernity and globalisation - one of the great challenges of the twenty-first century - in an intelligent, constructive way. 
   
  It allows communities to contribute to their study rather than simply being subjects of study. 
   
  The Indian High Commissioner, His Excellency Kamlesh Sharma, said, "The rising profile of India and the remarkable success of the worldwide community of Indian origin has increased interest in the foundations of India's culture and traditions. The affiliation with Oxford University advances the work of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies in providing serious academic focus on Hindu culture and its depth of wisdom and creativity for a wide audience. It is a significant gain for Oxford." 
   
  The Chancellor of Oxford University, Lord Patten of Barnes, said, "The development of the field of Hindu Studies at Oxford is very exciting. It is an important addition to Oxford's wealth of resources on India and Indian religions. It fits in well with our ambitions to be the best in this field. The new official association provides a platform for the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and Oxford University to move forward together in teaching, research and publishing." 
   
  A benefactor of the Centre, Alfred Ford, great-grandson of Henry Ford, stated, "With greater mobility, accelerating development and an increasing emphasis on global trade, audiences both internationally and within India, need to be ever more clear about Hindu culture; its interpretation can and does affect a large and economically significant population. Indeed, international business and politics now demand a much richer, more multi-faceted view of India. By facilitating young intellectuals we will help to preserve and develop understandings of Indic culture between traditions." 
   
  Sir Mark Tully, writer and broadcaster said, "There has perhaps never been more confusion about religion - much of it dangerous confusion. Yet with globalisation and the spread of multifaith societies there has never been a greater need for understanding of the different world traditions. That is why I am delighted that Oxford University has granted this recognition to the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. This will encourage the spread of knowledge about a great culture which the West has found difficult to understand because of its unique diversity and philosophical breadth." 
  As India's importance on the world stage grows, a rigorous, scholarly approach to Hindu Studies will allow it to preserve its cultures, take pride in its heritage, and understand how to accurately project its identity on the international stage. 
  The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies marks a significant development in Indian Studies at Oxford. In the nineteenth century, Indian Studies were aimed at giving missionaries and administrators a background knowledge of India before their departure. These studies focused on Indian history and languages. The OCHS has added Hindu Theology and Philosophy to the field. In 1830, Colonel Joseph Boden of the East India Company endowed the Boden Chair in Sanskrit to further Christian missionary work in India. An interesting mark of how the relationship between Oxford and India has matured is that Prof Richard Gombrich, emeritus Boden professor in Sanskrit, has been a member of the OCHS Board of Governors since its inception. 
  For more information please contact:
Shaunaka Rishi Das
Director, OCHS
077 66 488 583  shaunaka at ochs.org.uk 
www.ochs.org.uk   A number of speakers will be available for interview on the day including: 
    
   Lord Navnit Dholakia, Governor of the OCHS   
   Prof Richard Gombrich, Emeritus Prof of Sanskrit, Oxford   
   Prof Gavin Flood, Theology Faculty, Oxford   
   Shaunaka Rishi Das, Director, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies 
  Notes to Editors:    
   OCHS is the only academic institution in Europe dedicated to studying Hindu traditions in all their breadth and depth.   
   Pictures of the Oxford Centre are available online at: www.ochs.org.uk/media   
   As part of its outreach programme, the Centre is developing as a resource for scholars, media, and the business community seeking reliable information on Hindu philosophy, culture, and practice.   
   The OCHS has introduced the only accredited adult education course in Hindu Studies in Europe. OCHS is currently teaching this course at five locations around the country and is due online in October 2006.   
   Oxford's Indian Institute Library has the largest collection of Sanskrit manuscripts outside of India.   
   In 2001 the Centre conducted the only Hindu youth survey conducted in this country. Report at: www.ochs.org.uk/research/youthsurvey.html   
   The British Hinduism Oral History Project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and conducted by the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies is the only oral record of the first generation of Indian immigrants to the UK.   
   The OCHS is funded by public subscription. 
  


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For information on courses, lectures and seminars, publications, research and downloads please refer to our website www.ochs.org.uk or contact us at info at ochs.org.uk


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