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The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (OCHS) is an academy for the study of Hindu cultures, societies, philosophies, religions, and languages, in all periods and in all parts of the world, maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, originality, and excellence.
We are a non-political and non-sectarian organisation and welcomes staff, students, and visitors of all backgrounds. The OCHS is a place where all ideas are open for dispassionate discussion and examination.
We are dedicated to preserving India and Nepal’s cultural heritage and promoting a better understanding of it through a comprehensive programme of education, publishing, and research.
The OCHS was founded in 1997 as the world’s first academy of its kind for the study of Hindu culture. Since its inception the Centre has attracted world-class scholars and students, launched pioneering educational projects, and opened up the field of Hindu Studies for an international audience.
The Centre is developing a new, multidisciplinary approach to Hindu Studies that creates a discourse between Indian and Western traditions of scholarship as peers.
The approach is unique in addressing Indian thought and culture on its own terms, building an interface between modern academia and traditional Indian modes of scholarship with their uniquely valuable systems of transmission
We bring together the best lecturers, scholars, and students, involving them in teaching, research, conferences, and publishing. It links them with Oxford University’s art collections, archives, and libraries including the largest collection of Sanskrit manuscripts outside of India.
Oxford’s intellectual range and depth across all disciplines gives the widest possible context to any field of study and provides an ongoing challenge to achieve the highest standards of excellence.
Our students are given the opportunity to work with distinguished scholars of international standing in rigorous intellectual exchanges. They learn to develop critical thinking, articulate their views with precision, and gain the confidence to take on leadership roles and meet the challenges they will face in the wider world.