Creating a centre of excellence and
scholarship
The Centre will be at the forefront in providing objective
research and information about the history, philosophies and
social context of the many cultures that fall under the very
broad terms "Vedic" and "Hindu". It will meet the highest
standards of academic integrity, originality and excellence. It
will address issues and assumptions that have served to distance
scholarly, religious and philosophical traditions and worldviews;
and it will respond to academic and community needs by creating
new programmes and developing new fields of mutual interest.
Help the young understand their culture
Education is the lifeblood of the next generation. The Centre
will give an opportunity to Indian youth who want to gain deeper
understanding of their religious and cultural heritage. This will
enable them to consider vocations as representatives of their
community, enabling them to convey their community's concerns,
culture and values with sensitivity and accuracy.
Interpreting Hindu identity today
The Hindu communities who arrived in the West in the late
twentieth century experienced an extraordinary odyssey and saw
huge changes in their lives. The Centre will play a vital role in
helping the Hindu community to record and reflect on their
history, and enable them to define themselves, meet the
challenges of integration and the interpretation of Hindu
tradition in various social and cultural contexts.
Making the heritage accessible to all
The Centre will spread awareness by making its work available to
the general public through a wide variety of media including the
internet. It will publish academic and general works, and it will
provide resources to the community about Hindu tradition,
including a scholarly journal, a web page and a newsletter.
Helping to give Hinduism a respected
voice
The Centre will broaden the influence of the Hindu community
while promoting respect and understanding between cultures. By
association with Oxford University, the Indian and Hindu
communities will gain in their efforts to develop a progressive
and influential relationship with British society and beyond. The
Centre will inspire the Hindu Community with new perspectives and
confidence and enable their contribution in philosophy, education
and culture.
Preserving Hindu culture now and for the
future
Hindu culture and tradition have much to say to today's world,
but what is their role and where do they fit in? The Centre will
explore Hindu values and heritage and examine their contemporary
relevance, while taking steps to systematically record and
preserve the authentic sources and to deepen modern understanding
of them. An important aspect of the Centre's work will be to
counter the modern tendency for religious culture to be
marginalised or to become the preserve of fundamentalists. This
will be facilitated by a deeper study of the tradition,
particularly among the international Hindu community, at the
highest academic levels as well as through media accessible to
the wider community.
Building a bridge of understanding and
co-operation
Understanding where the next generation of Hindus fits in today's
multi-cultural societies requires dialogue, co-operation and
vision. This is essential if they are to take their place in
society in a meaningful and creative way. Hindus, with their
unique world-view, have much to say to other cultures, as well as
much to learn. The Centre will build a bridge of understanding
and co-operation between Hindu and Western scholarship and points
of view. A fellowship programme to bring Hindu scholars to Oxford
will foster co-operation and dialogue beneficial to both
traditions.