The Post Graduate Department of English is recognized as a research centre of the University of Kerala for doing research leading to PhD degree. There are four research guides and 16 registered Ph D scholars. In addition to the PhD programmes, the research centre also provides facilities for the UG and PG students in the department to pursue their research, leading to the submission of dissertations/projects.
The thrust areas of research are as follows:
- Psychoanalytic theory
- Autobiographical studies
- Black feminism
- Literary theory
- Cultural Studies
- Dalit Writing
- Diasporic Studies
- Prison Literature
Research Activities of the Post Graduate Department of English and Research Centre
The Research and Post Graduate department of English began its research career in the year 2006 (Kerala University order No. Ac E1 A2.20154/05 dtd 11.01.2006). Today, there are five research guides–Dr Vincent Netto, Dr P. Radhika, Dr S. Parvathy, Dr Clara BernadetteReshma and Dr S. Manoj—offering services to 3 full time and 9 part time PhD research scholars. To date, the department has produced 3 PhDs.
Besides supervising the work of the research scholars, members of the faculty take an active part in grooming research for the future, by regularly conducting orientation classes on Research Methodology and viable areas in research, in literature, in critical theory and other multidisciplinary fields, for students at the UG and PG levels, both at FMNC and other neighbouring colleges, on demand.
Over and above these programmes, the department also invites stalwarts from different professional fields for lectures. Inorder to expose the students to various employment opportunitiesawaiting them and to train them on PhD Course Work Examinations.
DEATILS OF RESEARCH SCHOLARS
Fulltime Scholars
- Ms Neethi Ravikumar
- Ms Rehnamol S
- Ms Divya Balachandran
Parttime Scholars
- Mr Stancilaus S
- Ms Chinnu Chandran
- Ms Nishel Prem Elias
- Mr Sony J
- Ms Lalitha Joseph
- Ms Neethu Philip
- Ms Anoosha Das
- Ms Sivapriya
- Ms Anne Placid
- Ms Aswathy Chandra Bhanu
- Ms Rosmi Robert (MG University)
Dr Vincent B. Netto
- “Many Lives of Edward Said” at All Saints College, Trivandrum on 13 November 2013.
- “What is the Real? Philip Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” International Seminar - St. Teresa’s College, Ernakulam. 14- 16 th Feb, 2014.
- “Geopolitics of Terror and Biopolitics of Horror and To Fear or not to Fear ?” National Seminar - Dept of English, S.H.College, Thevara, Cochi 28-29 November 2013
- “Geopolitics of Affect, Tele-Trauma and the Ethics of ef(facing) the Other: Judith Butler’s Frames of War: When is Life Grievable” National Seminar - Post Graduate Dept of English, M.S.M College, Kayamkulam 20-21 June 2013.
- “Virtual Reality: A Pathological Virulence.” National Seminar. Government College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram– 23&24th February, 2012.
- “Ecology and Literature.”National Seminar. N.S.S College, Nilamel– 9&10th February, 2012.
- “Globalisation and the Posthuman condition: Ethics of Alterity and Sublime of Com(Promises).” International Seminar –St. Berchman’s College, Changanassery, Kerala -- 9&10th July 2009.
- “Othello, the other and Desdemona the Decentred: Shakespeare’s Othello Revisited.” International Seminar. St.Paul’s College, Kalamassery—15&16th Nov, 2005.
- “Return of the Natives: KhaledHosseini’sThe Kite Runner andA Thousand Splendid Suns.”National Seminar. SreeNarayana College for Women, Kollam. – 23&24th September, 2009.
- National Seminar -- “Mapping Spaces: AmulyaMalladi’sThe Mango Season.” Scott Christian College, Nagercoil—8&9th Sep, 2006.
- National Seminar -- “Orchestration in Nature: An Ecocritical Reading of Vikram Seth’s An Equal Music.” All Saints College, Thiruvananthapuram - 11&12th July, 2006.
- National Seminar -- “The Subaltern can Speak: BamaFaustina’sSangati as a Chronicle of a Caste.” Sacred Heart College, Thevara – 20&21 Feb, 2006.
Dr Lawrencina Beryl Navis
- “Transculturation in this Millennium” at a two day UGC National Seminar on “Transculturation in Contemporary British and American Poetry” at St Cyril’s College, Adoor on 13 August 2013.
- “Nature Vs Nurture: Debates and Deliberations of WangariMaathai’s Environmentalism and Tourism in Kenya” at an International Seminar on Environmental SustainabilityEAST in August 2014.
Dr P. Radhika
- “Practising Deconstruction” at the D. C. E. sponsored two-day National Workshop on “Hindi Sahitya Mein Uttar AadhunikSidhantonkaPrabhav” at Govt College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram on 1 Dec. 2016.
- “Self-Denial as Assertion of Social Identity: Female Heroism in 21st Century Malayalam Fiction” at the UGC-sponsored International Seminar on “Comparative Perspectives in Classical Literature” at Lady Doak College, Madurai on 16 Dec. 2015.
- “Walking on Razor’s Edge: The Art of Literary Translation” for the Prof. P. U. Jacob Endowment Lecture at the Department of English, Bishop Moore College, Mavelikkara on 30 September 2015.
- “Empowerment through Unlearning: Swami Vivekananda’s Views on Education” at the UGC-sponsored National Workshop on “Swami Vivekananda and Indian Resurgence: Nation and Beyond” organized by the Department of History, SN College, Chempazhanthy on 20 March 2015
- “Through the Metaphoric Prism: Are We Naturally Biased towards Figurative Language?” at the UGC-sponsored National Workshop on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities organized by the Thiruvananthapuram Regional Centre of SreeSankaracharya University of Sanskrit on 26 Feb 2014
- “See(k)ing Selfhood in Swayamvara: A Study of 19th Century Malayalam Novel” at a one-day Multidisciplinary National Seminar on “Women Empowerment in the Nineteenth Century: The Kerala Factor” on 15 March 2013 by FMN College, Kollam
Dr S. Parvathy
- Lecture on “Documentation in Research Papers” at a one day seminar on Research Methodology organized by the Department of English, SreeNarayana Guru College of Advanced Studies, Chempazhanthy on 16 November 2017.
- An invited lecture on “Lyrical Ballads: The Context and Impact of its Publication” at a two day seminar, Fiesta Literaria, organized by the Post Graduate and Research Department of English & Mass Communication, SreeNarayana College, Kollam on 30 Oct. 2017.
- A talk on “A Practical Approach to Project Writing” at a one day Seminar on Research Methodology, organized by the Department of English, Dr Palpu College of Arts and Science, Pangodu, Puthussery, on 26 February 2016.
- A lecture on “Literature and Environment” at a Symposium organized on Greening the Earth, under the aegis of MSM College, Kayamkulam on 9 March 2016.
- A lecture on ‘Guidelines for the Preparation of a Project’ as part of the Annual Lecture Series organized by Department of English, M.M.N.S.S. College, Kottiyam on 6 March 2014.
- Resource Person in the two-day National Seminar on Moving the Centre: Black and Dalit Literatures organized by the Postgraduate and Research Department of English, T.K.M.College of Arts and Science, Kollam, held on 18 February 2014. (sponsored by the U.G.C.).
- Resource Person in the National Seminar on New Pespectives in Dalit Literature organized by Department of English, Government College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, held on 25 October 2013. (sponsored by the Directorate of Collegiate Education, Govt of Kerala).
- A lecture on Remedial Grammar and Reading Skills in a Three Day Workshop on Language Acquisition Programme sponsored by Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme organized by Department of Civil Engineering, TKM College of Engineering, Kollam on 22.10.2013.
- Resource Person at S.N. College for Women, Kollam in a one-day Seminar on Indian Literature in English held on 7 October 2013.
- Key Resource Person on “Fetishization of the Dalits” in a UGC sponsored two-day National Seminar on Shrinking World and Widening Chasms: Themes and Theories in Contemporary Literature in English, held by the Department of English, M.S.M. College, Kayamkulam on 20 June 2013.
- A talk on “Documentation in Research Papers” as Resource Person at S.N. College for Women, Kollam in a one-day Seminar on Research Methodology held on 27 November 2012.
- A lecture as Resource Person on “The Oeuvre of O.V.Vijayan” in a one-day Seminar on Indian English Literature organized by the Department of English, NSS College, Nilamel on 12 October 2012.
- A lecture as Resource Person in the one-day Workshop on Research Methodology in Literature in English conducted by the P.G. and Research Department of English, Mar Ivanios College, Trivandrum on 20 November 2009.
Dr M. Supriya
- “Concentric Narration in Neil Bissoondath’sThe World Within Her”. “Converging Disciplines: Canada and India”UGC Area Study Centre for Canadain Studies, University of Kerala, 12-13 July, 2012
- “Voice of Resistance: Ngugi’sDecolonizing the Mind.”“New Literatures.”Dept of English, VTMNSS College, Dhanuvachapuram, 5-6 January 2012
- “Emerging Perspectives in Diaspora Aesthetics.”Travails of Uprootment: ATribute to Refugees, Exiles and Diasporic Communities.MSM College, Kayamkulam, 29-31 July 2015.
- “Indo-Canadian Diaspora.”National Workshop on Diaspora Studies. UGC-SAP, Institute of English, University of Kerala, 22-23 November 2013
Dr Clara Bernadette Reshma
- “Out of the Labyrinth: A Historical Perspective of the Dalit Predicament .” ICODS 13. Department of Studies in English. Kannur University.
- “From Diagnostics to Linguistic Proficiency: Cognitive Language Learning.”International Conference of English from Classes to Masses. ELTAI. International
- “A Historical Perspective of LGBTQ Consciousness.”The Image of Changing India in Contemporary Fiction and Travel Literature. PG & Research Department of English. FMNC, Kollam.
Dr Manoj S.
- “Emerging Concepts of Consciousness, Self and Aesthetics: A Neurological Approach Rethinking Teaching in the 21st Century.” Muslim College of Education, Thiruvithancode, Kanyakumari Dist., Tamil Nadu.
- “Responsibilities of Research Journals in Media Studies.”Media-–Responsibilities and Prospects Department of Malayalam, University of Kerala, Karivattom, Thiruvananthapuram
- “Literary Historiography: Problems and Prospects.” Literary Historiography. Department of Malayalam, University of Kerala, Kariyavattom
Mr Stanilaus S.
- “Alienation and Cultural Displacement in AmitavGhosh’sIn an Antique Land”. International seminar on Neo-Novel: Word and Way. Government College, kattappana. 1-3, Nov.2016.
Mr Christy Clement
- “RUSA and its Implementation Review of RUSA in the State of Kerala.” RUSA State Project Directorate
- “RUSA and its scope on Higher Education:. Awareness of RUSA. RUSA State Project Directorate
- “RUSA, A Bane or a Blessing”. RUSA & Higher Education. University of Kerala
Dr Mercy Famila
- “Domination and reinforcement of power Relations : An Antonio Gramscian Study of Bama’sKarukku”. Indian Culture in Indian English Literature. A national seminar
Mr Sony J.
- “Ideology of Marriage and Legal Murder Undermined through the art of the Hangwoman-A Study on Hangwoman by K.R. Meera. Paradigms of Resurgence. Dept of English,Sri Vyasa NSS College,Thrissur,Kerala.
- Indian Sastra Versus Western Science in Leika by V.J.James.Innovations and Traditions in Ancient and Modern Indian Texts Centre for Vedanta Studies,Kerala University
- St.Francis as a Green Symbol of Spirituality in God’s Pauper by Kazantzakis.Forest and Literature .Association for Cultural and Scientific Research, Thrissur,Kerala
- The Charred Remains of the Endless Trauma of Indian Womanhood: ShashiDeshpande’sThe Binding Vine.Literary Confabulation 2013 Dept. of English,Udaya College of Arts and Science,Kanyakumari,Tamilnadu.
Ms Jaya Sunny
- Blurring Boundaries: From Roots to Routes in SunetraGupta’s ‘Memories of Rain’. Texts, Discourses and socio-cultural Translations. DCE, Kerala
- Performing Life in Omar’s ‘Onir’ .Theorizing the Quotidian. DCE, Kerala
- An Odyssey of Survival: A Study of Richard Flanagan’s ‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North’ as a classic of War FictionLiterature:.A Reflection of Life. Dept of English Govt Arts and Science College for Women, Bargur.
- Re-Defining the Cultural Paradigm: A Study of Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Sunetra Gupta’s ‘ Memories of Rain’ PG and Research Dept of English, Arignar Anna College of Arts and Science, Krishagiri.
Classes on Research Methodology
Classes on “Documentation in Research Papers and Projects” and “Research Methodology” are organized for the S6 UG English and S4 PG students, every year by Dr S. Parvathy, Associate Professor of English and Research Guide of Kerala and M.G. Universities. Moreover, she extends consultancy service to the neighbouring colleges including NSS College, Kottiyam, SN College, Kollam, SN College, Chempazhanthy, SN College for Women, Kollam, MSM College, Kayamkulam, SreeNarayana Guru College of Advanced Studies, Chempazhanthy, NSS College, Nilamel and Dr PalpuCollege of Arts and Science, Puthussery.
Invited lectures from Resource Persons
Among the several invited lectures, the following are highly commendable.
- RanjithLeen, Sub-editor, The Week, Ernakulam on “Copy editing”
- Dr Tommy John on “Film Studies”
- Mr Raju Mathew, Sub Editor, MalayalaManorama, Kollam, on “Reporting Skills”
- SanchuSurendran, Film Director cum Script Writer on “Script Writing”. 25 August 2017.
- A talk on “Jacques Derrida’s Deconstruction and Woman’s Being in the World” by Dr Divya S., Assistant Prof., Dept of English, Bishop Moore College, Mavelikkara on 8 June 2017
- A talk on “Introducing Postcolonialism” by Ms Rugma Prince, Research Scholar, IIT, Madras on 5 July 2017
- Workshop on “Practical Criticism” by Dr Koshy A. V., Assistant Professor, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia on 25 July 2017
- Inauguration of Likha – a journalistic venture initiated by the UG students of the department on 25 August 2017. Inaugurated by Dr A. Razaluddin, former Director of Publications, University of Kerala
Research Projects by the faculty
Dr Lawrencina Beryl Navis
| Title | Agency | Year | Grant/AmountMobilized |
| The (T)Issues Of Language in Films: The Harry Potter Series and the Matrix Series | UGC | Completed in 2011 | Rs 30, 000 |
Dr Clara Bernadette Reshma
| Title | Agency | Period | Grant/amount mobilized |
| Effective Communication: A Cognitive Approach | UGC | 2015 | Rs 77500 |
Dr Manoj S.
| Title | Agency | Period | Grant/amount mobilized (Rs lakh) |
| Modernity and Indian Cultural Ethos in the Works of Rabindranath Tagore | UGC | 2012-14 | Rs.145,000 |
Mr Sony J
| Title | Agency | Period | Grant/amount mobilized (Rs lakh) |
| Contours of Latin Catholic Literature in Kerala | UGC |
UGC Minor Research Projects :
Completed
- Dr Lawrencina Beryl Navis
The (T)issues of Langauge in Films: The Matrix Trilogy and the Harry Potter Series - Dr Clara B. Reshma
Effective Communication : a cognitive approach - Dr Manoj S.
Modernity and Indian Cultural Ethos in the Writting of Rabindranath Tagore - Mr Sony Joseph
Contours of Latin Catholic Literature in Kerala