Dr Srajana Kaikini, Assistant Professor, Philosophy, SIAS recently penned her experience, awe and inspiration, listening to Jane Goodall at the Mumbai LitLive Festival in the article The goodness of Jane Goodall in the Deccan Herald. Dr Kaikinideep dives into an interesting question by Goodall—if apes are in fact as angry, as violent, as caring, as loving, and as communicative as human beings, then why not see us in them and why not see them in us?
Professor Shanti Pappu, Visiting Professor of Archaeology and History, SIAS has co-authored a paper titled Breaking it Down: Ethnographic Studies on the Manufacture of Basalt Grinding Stones in India, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. Her co-authors include Sutonuka Bhattacharya, PhD student and Professor Naama Goren-Inbar from Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Dr Prachi Joshi, Senior Research Scholar and Dr Kumar Akhilesh, Director from Sharma Centre for Heritage Education and Professor Gideon Shelach-Lavi from Department of Asian Studies, The Louis Frieberg Chair of East Asian Studies, Hebrew University.
The latest essay ‘Spiral Epistemologies: New Forms for the Public’ (2024) by Dr Srajana Kaikini, Assistant Professor, Philosophy, SIAS is part of the annual anthology Projects / Processes published by the Serendipity Arts Foundation. The essay explores new curatorial forms for the commons reflecting on the Public Art Grant Commissions for 2023 gathered under the project The Island that Never Gets Flooded.
A recent publication by Professor Shanti Pappu, Visiting Professor of Archaeology and History, SIAS in collaboration with various other researchers is one of the pilot projects to explore skill acquisition and pedagogy in the context of the forgotten craft of making stone tools. The paper titled Flakes, Feelings, and Finesse: Experiential Studies of Skill Acquisition in Novice Knappers deals with the stone tool technologies used from around 2.6 Ma to around 300 ka (Lower Palaeolithic).
Dr Srajana Kaikini, Assistant Professor, Philosophy, SIAS was invited as a resource person to address over 250 registered participants from various university across the country for the Faculty Development Programme themed around “Critical Humanities and the Futures We Imagine” organised by the Centre for Theory and Criticism, Central University of Kerala and the UGC Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre. Dr Kaikini’s session was titled ‘The Curatorial Turn in Education: Notes from Relational Arts Practices’ where she shared insights from the field of curatorial studies and its possibilities within education and pedagogy based on her work around embodiment and learning.
Dr Shikha Rajpurohit, Assistant Professor, Philosophy, SIAS has been awarded the Tagore National Scholarship, given for a period of two years by the Ministry of Culture, GOI. Dr Rajpurohit will be working under the aegis of Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune to critically edit the Nidarśana commentary of Rājānaka Ānanda on Kāvyaprakāśa. The commentary was written in the 17th century of which eight manuscripts are known to exist till date. The edition will be useful for researchers working in the fields of Sanskrit poetics and Indian philosophy.
Dr Vijaya C, Assistant Professor, Finance, IFMR GSB was invited as the Track Chair and Reviewer for Finance Case studies presented at the 15th Annual Case Conference, COGNOSCO 2025 organised by The School of Business and Management (MBA) and the Centre for Case Research and Development (CCRD) of Christ Deemed to be University, Bengaluru on 24 January 2025.
COGNOSCO, initiated in 2012, is a platform for case writers to present their case studies and promote the development of quality teaching cases among the teaching fraternity and also business practitioners.
Nidhin Donald, Postdoctoral Fellow, Moturi Satyanarayana Centre for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Krea University, has recently contributed to two esteemed publications:
He authored an article titled Displaying the ‘Family’ Online: Reflections on Syrian Christian Visual Life in Family Studies, published in Oxford University Press.
He co-authored an article titled Ambedkar on Indian Christianity: Towards a Critique, published in South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies.
Read article 1: https://academic.oup.com/book/58844/chapter-abstract/489743367?redirectedFrom=fulltext
Read article 2: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00856401.2025.2425563
Krea University commemorated the 76th Republic Day with vibrant celebrations on campus. Dr Madhavilatha Maganti, Associate Professor, Psychology, SIAS was the Chief Guest. The celebration featured the traditional hoisting of the national flag.
In her keynote speech, Dr Maganti underscored the evolving responsibilities of citizens in a rapidly changing global landscape, urging students to harness the power of education and empathy and emphasising that civic engagement goes far beyond ceremonial observance. She noted that “education is not merely a means to an end, but an evolving phenomenon that underpins personal, social, economic and global growth.” Dr Maganti reminded the gathering of the importance of resilience — the ability to persevere and adapt in the face of adversity — and encouraged Krea’s community to cultivate resilience through a supportive environment. She also stressed the need to balance digital innovation with social engagement, suggesting we “move from digital natives to social minds.”
By doing so, she believes technology can serve as a bridge to strengthen communities and foster a world where digital advancement and human compassion go hand in hand. Dr Maganti further called attention to: The “paradox of choice,” explaining that more options often lead to less satisfaction. The value of “bridging generations,” tapping into the combined wisdom of youth and experience. The necessity of an “environmental revolution,” where even small steps can have a big impact. Redefining success beyond mere money or status and harnessing the power of storytelling to shape narratives that inspire hope and courage.
Professor Nirmala Rao, Vice Chancellor, Krea University also shared her greetings to the Krea community, acknowledging the importance of honouring India’s constitutional ideals and reiterating the institution’s dedication to fostering future leaders committed to social progress.
Dr Anannya Dasgupta. Director, Centre for Writing & Pedagogy (CWP) and Associate Professor of Literature, SIAS was a discussant on a panel on, “Trends in Literary Studies and English Departments in India” at the national conference on Trends in Literary Studies and English Departments in India organised by Manipal Centre for Humanities on 24 January, 2025.
