Distinguished Visitors in the Department

DISTINGUISHED VISITORS IN THE DEPARTMENT

Prof. B. Ramaraju

Prof.  Biruduraju Ramaraju is the pioneering folklorist of South India and one among very few celebrated folklorist of the beginnings of the discipline in India. Prof. Ramaraju got awarded Ph.D in Folklore subject for the first time in the entire South Indian Universities. Such a great folklorist visited twice to Dravidian University and participated in a National Seminar in the Department of Folklore and Tribal Studies. He delivered the keynote address in a national seminar in 2006. Much earlier Prof. Ramaraju visited the Department in the Year 2004-05 and inaugurated the South Indian Folklore Museum and Archives. He is the one among the persons who were instrumental in establishing the Department of Folklore in the Dravidian University. The Department is indebted to the visionary Prof. B. Ramaraju. Prof. B.A. Vivek Rai the then Vice Chancellor and a internationally reputed folklorist also seen in the photos. He also visited the Department to deliver the Keynote address in FOSSILS conference in the year 2004. Dr. M.D Muthukumaraswamy the Director of National Folklore Support Centre is lighting the lamp as part of the conference is visible in the first photo. He also an internationally reputed folklorist. 

Prof. Peter J Claus

Prof. Peter J Claus is a Professor of Anthropology and Folklore. He worked in the California University for many years. He did his major research on the Siri Epic and the genre of Paddana of Karnataka. Almost three decades he worked in entire South India. He published many articles on South Indian Folklore. Such great international Folklorist Visited the Department of Folklore and Tribal Studies in the year 2004 and delivered a special Lecture for the benefit of the staff and students of Dravidian University. The Dravidian University should also remember him for his another kind of contribution. Prof. Peter donated 168 books all are of International publication and seminal books on Folklore and Tribal Studies. They cost around two lakhs of rupees. He generously donated these books to the Department, which turned to be an asset to the Department and to the University. Prof. Subbachary invited him to the Campus on the approval of the then Vice Chancellor.

 Click here for more information on Peter J Claus:  

http://wikieducator.org/Assisting_Foreign_Scholar_Doing_Fieldwork_by_S.A.Krishnaiah

* Prof. Ravva Srihari, the then Vice-Chancellor of Dravidia University is flanked by Professor Peter in above three photos

Prof. Simon Charsley

Prof. Simon is basically a Sociologist, worked for more than three decades in the Glasgow University of Scotland, but did a great work on the Folklore of Andhra Pradesh. He came to Andhra Pradesh many times to execute his folklore research projects. He exclusively did research on Dalit folklore of Andhra Pradesh. He documented the Jambapuranam of Chindollu and many other folk art forms of A.P. He did much  more intensive research on the seri culture of Karnataka and folklore of Karnataka. Prof. P. Subbachary collaborated in one of the projects of Simon in Andhra Pradesh. Prof. Simon Charsley visited the Dravidian University to deliver a special Lecture on the Folklore of Andhra Pradesh and its dynamics in the year 2009, addressed the staff and students of Dravidian University.

Click here for more information on Prof. Simon Charsley: 

http://silkwormmori.blogspot.in/2010/11/sericulture-in-cevennes-from-first.html

Dr. Catherine Hiebert Kerst

Catherine Hiebert Kerst visited the Department on the side lines of the Indian Folklore Congress in 2008 December. She has been working as a Folklife Specialist and Archivist in the American Folklife Centre in the Library of Congress Washigton. She participated in the three day congress proceedings and she exclusivesly addressed the research scholars and teaching staff of the Department of Folklore and Tribal Studies. We are enriched by her interaction. 

Prof. Cuddapah Ramaniah the then Vice-Chancellor is flanked by Catherine.

Prof. Damon Vincent

Dear Friends Dravidian University through the Department of Folklore and Tribal Studies and the Course staff MSW organized the Distinguished Lecture programme today between 3.00 to 630.00 P.M. Prof. Damon Vincent A German Scholar settled in USA attended as the distinguished visitor in the University and delivered the Lecture on “Aspects of Human Communication”. He started from the basics, from the primitive state communication systems and went through the state of the art communication technological mechanisms. He primarily dealt with how human angle in all these communication systems plays a great role. He explained the barriers of in human communication in various walks of life and various organizational entities. He projected many thought provoking ideas. The entire lecture went on for two hours with a break. There was an interaction section among the research scholars, teaching staff with the visiting Professor. It is a very rich experience and a fruitful event in the University.