Wolfson College announces Guru Nanak Stipendiary Research Fellowship

Wolfson College, University of Oxford, has appointed Dr Jaskiran Kaur Bhogal to the newly-established Guru Nanak Stipendiary Research Fellowship at Wolfson College, University of Oxford with effect from February 2025. The position was made possible by a fundraising campaign primarily among the Punjabi Sikh community in Britain.

Dr Bhogal has a BSc in Economics and an MSc and a PhD in anthropology from the LSE. Her research explores the ways in which Sikhs in Britain navigate the spiritual and temporal dimensions of religiosity; how Sikhs practice their faith both privately and in the public sphere, primarily by focusing on key sites such as the home, schooling, youth groups, community, and social groups. Her research has laid a solid foundation for exploring the teachings of Guru Nanak and the legacy of the Punjab in Britain specifically. 

Dr Bhogal is going to research the preservation of intangible heritage, deeply rooted in the historical and spiritual context of Punjab, through childbirth, child-rearing, and homemaking practices, drawing upon traditions and the teachings of Guru Nanak Sahib. This project will explore how the Sikh community maintains a connection to their spiritual and cultural heritage in a British diaspora context. She will explore how Sikh families create Sikh spaces within their homes and everyday lives, where the cultural and spiritual heritage of Punjab is preserved and transmitted across generations.