Teaching Fellows & Assistants
Meet a few of our Teaching Fellows and Teaching Assistants (past and present, in alphabetical order) and hear what they have to say about their experience of working at the Philosophy Department and with our philosophy students.
Aadya Singh: “I’ve had the good fortune of being a TA for Professor Juliana’s Philosophy of Mind (CTS) and Professor Raja’s Philosophy of Love course. I have also had the opportunity to TF for Professor Raja’s course on Love and Friendship – a YIF course offered by the Philosophy Department.
My experience with the subject matter of Philosophy is inseparable from how my Professors have taught Philosophy to me at Ashoka. The instruction of Philosophy here has encouraged me to embark upon a lifelong path of challenging my intellectual horizons, of learning to think with more confidence and direction, and of ensuring I apply my skills beyond academia to moments in my everyday life. It is true that Philosophy seeps into everything, and I have found that the phenomenal faculty and the talented Philosophy students of our Department embody that ethos.
As a student, and as someone who has engaged in Philosophical instruction to some extent at Ashoka, not one day has been dull. The stimulating and sparkling class discussions and the carefully curated coursework, coupled with the brilliant philosophical rigour of our Professors, birth actively curious, open, and hard-working individuals, who tread the path of success. Indeed, this unmatched learning environment has introduced me to a family of brilliant thinkers – whose zest I carry within me everywhere I go. Doing Philosophy at Ashoka has and will continue to make me a better thinker, writer, and human being.
The highlight of studying Philosophy at Ashoka, according to me, is that one learns that the great ideas of past Philosophers are just the beginning.”
Abbas Bagwala, Teaching Fellow: “The Philosophy Department at Ashoka is exceptional, and working with them has been very warm and welcoming – it has been a privilege. Philosophers at the Department work on a range of subjects, and the many talks and seminars organized here are among the best in the country. Subjects taught and researched at the Department range from core analytic philosophy to Greek philosophy to contemporary political theory and Indian philosophy. Students at Ashoka are also an excited bunch, and teaching them has been quite enriching. In my personal experience, owing to the very-well designed courses taught at the Department, the students have also been consistently excited throughout their semesters – a feat rarely achieved in the serious study of philosophy! This makes my job as a Teaching Fellow all the more enjoyable.”
Jishnu Ghose, Teaching Fellow: “Being a Teaching Fellow for the Philosophy Department has been an enriching experience of continuous learning. I’ve worked with Prof. Kranti Saran on two of his courses, Mind and Behaviour and Indian Civilisations; and the mentorship provided by Prof. Saran has taught me how to be an effective instructor and create a classroom climate that fosters learning. Facilitating discussion sections helped me understand how to provide a structured setting for students—and me—to work through the core concepts or problems raised by readings and lectures. One of the many highlights of the job came from the joy of watching my students become better writers and thinkers through feedback on assignments and office hours. As much as I’ve learned from Prof. Saran and the students, the interactions with members of the Philosophy Department (through weekly talks) have exposed me to different kinds of research, instructional design and pedagogies.”
Reetika Kalita: “I’ve had the good fortune of being associated with the Philosophy Department at Ashoka University as a student as well as a teacher and my experience on both sides has been only exceptional. As a student I had the opportunity to study under what is undoubtedly the best faculty in Philosophy in the country and their consistent, unfailing support at each step. As a TA (for Metaphysics) and a Teaching Fellow (for Environmental Ethics, Indian Civilisations, and Philosophy of Love, also for Morality and the Good Life (YIF) and Love and Friendship (YIF)), I had the complete guidance of all my professors, and a wonderfully curious and excited bunch of students. The department is extremely active—there are always events to attend or classes to sit in on—and has been ever so welcoming to someone like me who has only just entered the world of Philosophy! I could not possibly have asked for a more stimulating environment to nurture my academic interests.”
