Alumna-Interaction (16) : Literary Research and Activism

IIS (Deemed to be) University’s Department of English organized the sixteenth in the series of virtual Alumna-Interaction sessions on Literary Research and Activism for the students of English (hons.) and  M.A. English on 30 Oct. 2021. The speaker for the lecture was Aashima Jain, an alumna of the 2017 English (hons.) batch, who is currently a PhD. scholar in University of Nottingham, Malaysia 

Dr. Rimika Singhvi, the HOD, extended a warm welcome to the speaker and introduced the topic of the lecture to the students. Her interest in literature allowed her to write a dissertation on homosexuality and Child Abuse during her graduation and now is also a freelance content writer. It also made her pursue her Masters In cultural Studies at Christ University, Bangalore. She highlighted the idea of relationship between English literature and Cultural studies and how she is trying to develop a new subgenre as “digital dystopia” through her research. The session began as the host gave her insights on the problems she faced while developing a relationship between English literature and cultural studies. She explained what cultural studies are and how it rejects the distinction between “high” and “low” art.

She encouraged the students to not only extend the knowledge beyond the academic curriculum but to also participate in the extra-curricular activities. She emphasized on the importance of seeking essential guidance from professors at the University. She further talked about what steps should be taken by students if they are planning to do a research or Masters program and discussed the type of failures she faced. During the end, she also mentioned the dilemma and the struggles she experienced as a student and a researcher.  

The lecture was followed by an interactive session wherein she answered queries regarding digital dystopian aspect in the current times.  She advised the students to gather knowledge not just from inside the classroom but even beyond classroom and books. The faculty members congratulated her on her success and the session came to an end with a vote of thanks by the HOD.