Avishek Ganguly

Associate Professor
BA, Calcutta University
MA, Jawaharlal Nehru University
PHD, Columbia University
Avishek Ganguly’s CV

Avishek Ganguly is an interdisciplinary scholar who works at the intersection of translation, theater and performance, cultural studies, and contemporary literatures in English. His publications include Living Translation: Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak (Seagull Books, 2022), co-edited with Emily Apter, Mauro Pala and Surya Parekh, and Performance and Translation in a Global Age (Cambridge University Press, 2023), co-edited with Kélina Gotman. He is currently working on a monograph on the cultural politics of “Global Englishes” and experimenting with a project at the interface of design and the humanities. 

Ganguly has held visiting research fellowships at Freie Universität-Berlin and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and taught at Columbia University, Bryant University and the University of Delhi. At RISD, he held the inaugural Global Faculty Fellowship and was awarded the Robert Turner Theatrical and Performance Design Grant most recently to teach a collaborative, immersive seminar-studio with Christopher Roberts titled Power, Pastness and Performances of Monumentality.

In 2020 Ganguly received the prestigious John R. Frazier Award for Excellence in Teaching. He also recently co-taught a year-long faculty seminar titled Decolonizing the Imagination with Paula Gaetano-Adi at RISD. The seminar now lives online as a public syllabus at decolonizingtheimagination.com.

Ganguly believes that the interdisciplinary humanities should play a prominent role in shaping public life and policy conversations around contemporary social issues, and he continues to work with various cultural and nonprofit organizations in the area including the Wilbury Theatre Group and FringePVD: The Providence Fringe Festival. He was recently appointed to serve a three-year term as a commissioner on the Art in City Life Commission in Providence, RI.

Academic areas of interest

Ethics and politics of translation; theater and performance; contemporary literatures in English; postcolonialism and decolonization; cultural studies (especially contemporary urban musical cultures in India); sound studies; public humanities; the “long nineteen sixties”; Indian popular cinema.

Fall 2023 Courses

GAC 700G-01 - CRITICAL GLOBALISMS
Level Graduate
Unit Liberal Arts
Subject Global Arts And Cultures
Period Fall 2023
Credits 3
Format Seminar
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date

GAC 700G-01

CRITICAL GLOBALISMS

Level Graduate
Unit Liberal Arts
Subject Global Arts And Cultures
Period Fall 2023
Credits 3
Format Seminar
Mode In-Person
Start and End 2023-09-06 to 2023-12-13
Times: T | 9:40 AM - 12:40 PM Instructor(s): Avishek Ganguly Location(s): Auditorium, Room 522 Enrolled / Capacity: 15 Status: Open

SECTION DESCRIPTION

Introduces students to ways of thinking about arts and culture comparatively, through interrogation of the very terms global, "arts" and "culture." Critical Globalisms emphasizes the development of broad theoretical perspectives within which to situate specific research interests. A requirement in the first semester of the GAC MA degree, Critical Globalisms provides a common vocabulary and experience for all GAC MA students. The course will run as a seminar with weekly reading assignments, regular writing assignments, and in class discussion.

Enrollment is limited to Global Arts and Cultures Students.

This is a co-requisite course. Students must register for GAC-700G and GAC-701G.

Major Requirement | MA Global Arts and Cultures

GAC 701G-01 - CRITICAL GLOBALISMS
Level Graduate
Unit Liberal Arts
Subject Global Arts And Cultures
Period Fall 2023
Credits 3
Format Seminar
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date

GAC 701G-01

CRITICAL GLOBALISMS

Level Graduate
Unit Liberal Arts
Subject Global Arts And Cultures
Period Fall 2023
Credits 3
Format Seminar
Mode In-Person
Start and End 2023-09-06 to 2023-12-13
Times: T | 9:40 AM - 12:40 PM Instructor(s): Avishek Ganguly Location(s): Auditorium, Room 522 Enrolled / Capacity: 15 Status: Open

SECTION DESCRIPTION

Provides an opportunity for independent research related to the discussions, topics, readings and other activities from GAC-700G. Students will begin to develop areas of focus in order to identify future electives and research topics leading toward the Master's Thesis.

Enrollment is limited to Global Arts and Cultures Students.

This is a co-requisite course. Students must register for GAC-700G and GAC-701G.

Major Requirement | MA Global Arts and Cultures

GAC 799G-01 - THESIS
Level Graduate
Unit Liberal Arts
Subject Global Arts And Cultures
Period Fall 2023
Credits 12
Format Seminar
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date

GAC 799G-01

THESIS

Level Graduate
Unit Liberal Arts
Subject Global Arts And Cultures
Period Fall 2023
Credits 12
Format Seminar
Mode In-Person
Start and End 2023-09-06 to 2023-12-13
Instructor(s): Avishek Ganguly Enrolled / Capacity: 1 Status: Closed

SECTION DESCRIPTION

A Master's Thesis is a substantive, research-based scholarly essay of at least 60 double-spaced pages that involves original research and makes an original intervention in the field. The culmination of the Master's Degree, the Master's Thesis is of publishable quality. This course supports the completion of the Master's Thesis. Students are required to work independently, in conversation with peers, and in individual consultation with their MA Thesis Committee to develop, complete, revise, and finalize the Master's Thesis. The Master's Thesis will be housed in the RISD Library in both print and electronic forms. Students are also expected to present work related to the Master's Thesis at the GAC MA Symposium. Please see the GAC MA Thesis Timeline for a clear sequence of required deadlines. Please see the GAC MA Thesis Guidelines and Policies for clarification of the goals and expectations of the GAC MA.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of GAC-798G and approval of the prospectus are required for enrollment.

Enrollment is limited to Global Arts and Cultures Students.

Major Requirement | MA Global Arts and Cultures

GAC 799G-02 - THESIS
Level Graduate
Unit Liberal Arts
Subject Global Arts And Cultures
Period Fall 2023
Credits 12
Format Seminar
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date

GAC 799G-02

THESIS

Level Graduate
Unit Liberal Arts
Subject Global Arts And Cultures
Period Fall 2023
Credits 12
Format Seminar
Mode In-Person
Start and End 2023-09-06 to 2023-12-13
Instructor(s): Avishek Ganguly Enrolled / Capacity: 1 Status: Closed

SECTION DESCRIPTION

A Master's Thesis is a substantive, research-based scholarly essay of at least 60 double-spaced pages that involves original research and makes an original intervention in the field. The culmination of the Master's Degree, the Master's Thesis is of publishable quality. This course supports the completion of the Master's Thesis. Students are required to work independently, in conversation with peers, and in individual consultation with their MA Thesis Committee to develop, complete, revise, and finalize the Master's Thesis. The Master's Thesis will be housed in the RISD Library in both print and electronic forms. Students are also expected to present work related to the Master's Thesis at the GAC MA Symposium. Please see the GAC MA Thesis Timeline for a clear sequence of required deadlines. Please see the GAC MA Thesis Guidelines and Policies for clarification of the goals and expectations of the GAC MA.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of GAC-798G and approval of the prospectus are required for enrollment.

Enrollment is limited to Global Arts and Cultures Students.

Major Requirement | MA Global Arts and Cultures

Spring 2024 Courses

GAC 799G-01 - THESIS
Level Graduate
Unit Liberal Arts
Subject Global Arts And Cultures
Period Spring 2024
Credits 12
Format Seminar
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date

GAC 799G-01

THESIS

Level Graduate
Unit Liberal Arts
Subject Global Arts And Cultures
Period Spring 2024
Credits 12
Format Seminar
Mode In-Person
Start and End 2024-02-15 to 2024-05-24
Instructor(s): Avishek Ganguly Enrolled / Capacity: 1 Status: Open

SECTION DESCRIPTION

A Master's Thesis is a substantive, research-based scholarly essay of at least 60 double-spaced pages that involves original research and makes an original intervention in the field. The culmination of the Master's Degree, the Master's Thesis is of publishable quality. This course supports the completion of the Master's Thesis. Students are required to work independently, in conversation with peers, and in individual consultation with their MA Thesis Committee to develop, complete, revise, and finalize the Master's Thesis. The Master's Thesis will be housed in the RISD Library in both print and electronic forms. Students are also expected to present work related to the Master's Thesis at the GAC MA Symposium. Please see the GAC MA Thesis Timeline for a clear sequence of required deadlines. Please see the GAC MA Thesis Guidelines and Policies for clarification of the goals and expectations of the GAC MA.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of GAC-798G and approval of the prospectus are required for enrollment.

Enrollment is limited to Global Arts and Cultures Students.

Major Requirement | MA Global Arts and Cultures

GAC 799G-02 - THESIS
Level Graduate
Unit Liberal Arts
Subject Global Arts And Cultures
Period Spring 2024
Credits 12
Format Seminar
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date

GAC 799G-02

THESIS

Level Graduate
Unit Liberal Arts
Subject Global Arts And Cultures
Period Spring 2024
Credits 12
Format Seminar
Mode In-Person
Start and End 2024-02-15 to 2024-05-24
Instructor(s): Avishek Ganguly Enrolled / Capacity: 1 Status: Open

SECTION DESCRIPTION

A Master's Thesis is a substantive, research-based scholarly essay of at least 60 double-spaced pages that involves original research and makes an original intervention in the field. The culmination of the Master's Degree, the Master's Thesis is of publishable quality. This course supports the completion of the Master's Thesis. Students are required to work independently, in conversation with peers, and in individual consultation with their MA Thesis Committee to develop, complete, revise, and finalize the Master's Thesis. The Master's Thesis will be housed in the RISD Library in both print and electronic forms. Students are also expected to present work related to the Master's Thesis at the GAC MA Symposium. Please see the GAC MA Thesis Timeline for a clear sequence of required deadlines. Please see the GAC MA Thesis Guidelines and Policies for clarification of the goals and expectations of the GAC MA.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of GAC-798G and approval of the prospectus are required for enrollment.

Enrollment is limited to Global Arts and Cultures Students.

Major Requirement | MA Global Arts and Cultures

BA, Calcutta University
MA, Jawaharlal Nehru University
PHD, Columbia University
Avishek Ganguly’s CV