Aravinda Bhat
Assistant Professor
Dr Aravinda Bhat is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Languages, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, an Institution of Eminence located in Manipal, India. His interests range from reading novels, short stories, autobiographical writings, essays and histories coming out of Europe.
Qualification: Dr Bhat holds two research degrees, an MPhil and a PhD in English Literature from the Department of English Literature, The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, India. For his MPhil, he read the works of the American writers Ved Mehta and Tom Sullivan; and for the latter, the blind Argentinian poet, essayist and short story writer Jorge Luis Borges, the Australian writer of diaries and critical works on blindness and theology, John M Hull and the American poet and memoirist Stephen Kuusisto.
CURRENT ACADEMIC ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES
Dr Bhat holds two research degrees, an MPhil and a PhD in English Literature from the Department of English Literature, The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, India. For his MPhil, he read the works of the American writers Ved Mehta and Tom Sullivan; and for the latter, the blind Argentinian poet, essayist and short story writer Jorge Luis Borges, the Australian writer of diaries and critical works on blindness and theology, John M Hull and the American poet and memoirist Stephen Kuusisto.
He has been following European affairs since the year 1999 by listening to radio programmes on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). He has also written a radio play for the International radio play-writing competition hosted by the BBC. He nurtures a long-standing interest in languages such as English, Kannada, German and Sanskrit.
He taught World Literature at the BA level while doing his PhD. In his current position he has taught courses in European Literature at the MA level; run two seminar series entitled ‘EU Seminar Series’ for MA students; taught courses on Critical Thinking, creative writing and European Intellectual and literary History at the BA level. Due to the friendship and unstinting support of Mr. Rahul Putty, Head of Department DoL, and colleagues at the department, he has been able to indulge his love for literature as a teacher and researcher.
He is keen to pursue research on the intersections between literature, philosophy and disability studies; European Philosophy and literature; and comparative studies between European and Indian systems of knowledge.
He is visually impaired and has been using the screen reading software JAWS for Windows since 2002. He is adroit in using the MS Word application and the internet with the help of his screen reader. He has gained in-depth experience in editing as a researcher and freelance editor with the publishing house, Orient Blackswan, headquartered in Hyderabad. He has edited the introductory chapters to two works of literature, Emma by Jane Austen and Pygmalion by G B Shaw. He has authored three magazine articles on the importance of technology in the lives of blind people, the experience of being read to, and watching movies as a blind person.
SUBJECTS CURRENTLY TEACHING
| Subject | Semester / Year |
|---|---|
| European Literature, Intellectual History of Europe, Research Method in Social Sciences and Humanities | Monsoon and Summer semesters |
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
| Degree | Specialisation | Institute | Year of passing |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhD | English Literature | Department of English Literature, The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, India. | |
| MPhil | English Literature | Department of English Literature, The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, India | |
| MA | English Literature | Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL), Hyderabad, India | 2005 |
| German Language | 3 levels | Max Mueller Bhavan, Chennai, branch of the Goethe-Institut Inter Nationes, Germany | 2005 |
| Diploma | German language | The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, India | 2009 |
Experience
| Institution / Organisation | Designation | Role | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orient Blackswan, Hyderabad, India. | Freelance Editor | May 2010-Dec.2010 | |
| The English and Foreign Languages University (EFL-U), Hyderabad, India. | Lecturer | August 2014 to November 2014 | |
| Department of European Studies | Assistant Professor | Since August 2016 |
Bhat, Aravinda. "Being on the Brink of a Blind Abyss: Stepping Back from a Religion Defined by the Opposing Archetypes of Light and Darkness." De Natura Fidei: Rethinking Religion across Disciplinary Boundaries (Vol. 3), edited by Jibu Mathew George, Authorspress, 2021, pp. 259-294.
Bhat, Aravinda. Blind Narrations and Artistic Subjectivities: Corporeal Refractions. Routledge, forthcoming.
Bhat, Aravinda. “Staying Indoors Due to COVID-19: How People who are not Disabled may Learn about Mobility and Reasonable Accommodations and Become Allies of those with Disabilities.” Review of Disability Studies, under review.
Bhat, Aravinda. “Narrative Lacunae and Variable Articulation in Stephen Kuusisto’s Memoirs: Uncovering an Aesthetic Dialectic.” EFL Journal, under review.
AREAS OF INTEREST, EXPERTISE AND RESEARCH
Area of Interest
Literature in English, German Language
Area of Expertise
English Literature
Area of Research
Writings by visually impaired authors, European Philosophy, Disability studies
Talk on “The Problems of Perception” on World Philosophy Day
November 25, 2021
Delivered a talk entitled “The Problems of Perception” on the occasion of World Philosophy Day at the invitation of the Department of Philosophy, MAHE, Manipal, India. It is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AqWvP_cUGM
Talk on "Dignity and Ability" at National Law University Mumbai
December 19, 2020
Delivered a talk entitled “Dignity and Ability” to undergraduate students of Maharashtra National Law University Mumbai located in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
December 20, 2019
Chaired a public lecture on ‘Ramayana Sameeksha’ delivered by Dr S Ananda Teertha, and organized by the Department of Philosophy, MAHE, Manipal, India.
Manuscripts to ManE-Scripts: Rebuilding Resources, M.I.L.A.P
November 10, 2019
Moderated a panel discussion entitled “Manuscripts to ManE-Scripts: Rebuilding Resources” as part of the third edition of the literary festival, Manipal International Literature and Arts Platform (m.i.l.a.p.), held on November 9-10, 2019 in Manipal.
Bestseller in the Human Library, Revels Cultural Festival, MIT
March 7, 2019
On the occasion of Revels, the cultural festival of MIT (Manipal Institute of Technology) Manipal, Dr Aravinda Bhat “was published a bestseller in the Human Library” as described in the certificate issued in the name of Ronni Abergel, the founder of the Human Library.
Panel Discussion on “Understanding Blindness in Literature” , M.I.L.A.P. 2019
September 16, 2017
Moderated a panel discussion entitled “Understanding Blindness in Literature” during the first edition of Manipal International Literature and Arts Platform (m.i.l.a.p.) jointly organized by The Department of European Studies and Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities, Manipal University.
Poetry reading session “An Evening with Poets”, EFLU, Hyderabad
November 26, 2015
Chaired a poetry-reading session entitled “An Evening with Poets” during an international conference entitled “Words Words Words: The Future of Literary Writing” organized by the Dept. of English literature, The English and Foreign Languages University (EFL-U), Hyderabad, India
January 28, 2022
Delivered a lecture entitled “Modernist Experiments: Transitions in Literature,” organized by MCES, Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, MAHE at the Department of English, Poornaprajna College, Udupi, India. This event was part of an outreach programme.
March 12, 2021
Resource-person for a workshop entitled “Introduction to Literary Theories” organized by MCES, Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, MAHE at the Department of English, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College, Udupi, India.
August 20, 2019
Delivered a lecture on Romantic poetry and aesthetics at the Department of Postgraduate Studies in English, S.D.M College, Ujire, India, as part of an outreach programme of MCES, Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, MAHE, titled “Workshop on Basics of Literary Theories,” held on August 20 and August 21, 2019.
July 19, 2019
Delivered a lecture on Romantic poetry and aesthetics at the Department of English, Poornaprajna College, Udupi, India, as part of an outreach programme of MCES, Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, MAHE, titled “Workshop on Basics of Literary Theories,” held on July 19 and July 20, 2019.
January 16, 2018
Delivered a lecture in Kannada, on the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen and his themes at a workshop for undergraduate students of literature entitled “The Literary World of Europe: The Discovery of Key Works through Kannada.”