ESIND - COST Action CA23144

With a Bachelor's degree in Theology and a Master's in Sociology of Religion, my research has primarily focused on the role of religion in shaping societal structures. My master’s thesis explored religious life through the lens of Cemil Meriç, emphasizing the interplay between religion and culture within Indian society. Pursuing a Ph.D. in the relationship between religion and economic development in Turkey, I investigated how religious values influence socioeconomic progress. Currently holding an associate professorship in Mass Sociology, my academic interests center on the dynamic interaction between religion, society, and cultural integration. My work bridges disciplines to examine cross-cultural religious dynamics, societal integration processes, and the sociological impact of religion in both historical and contemporary contexts.

With a dual academic foundation in Hindu Studies (Hindology) and Islamic Theology, my interdisciplinary training enables a comparative approach to South Asian religions. My MA research focused on the concept of sacred individuals in Indian religious traditions, particularly Sadhus, while my PhD investigates the historical development of Shaivism. This scholarly trajectory is supported by language proficiency in Sanskrit (classical text reading), Arabic, English, Hindi, and Urdu, providing direct access to primary sources across traditions. My work combines scientific expertise with contextual religious analysis, aiming to deepen our understanding of ritual, asceticism, and religious identity in South Asia.

Master's student of Ethnology and Cultural Antropology at University of Ljubljana. Currently researching Bektashism in Tirana, Albania. Upcoming fieldwork for my thesis: "Exploring Japanese Spirit Worlds through Relationships with Non-Human Entities".

Christina Frentzou holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Rutgers University in the U.S.A. and an Associate in Applied Science in Business Computer Programming at Bergen Community College in U.S.A . In the past, she has worked for Data General Hellas S.A., as a systems analyst focusing on system tuning, system security, networks and communications. She has worked for Ingres Hellas as a senior consultant with responsibilities on DBMS tuning and consulting services and project management. Currently, she is Deputy Director of "IT Applications and Research Technology Assistance of EKKE" with her main activities to include methodological and technical support of EKKE’s research infrastructure. She has also get involved in research projects by building on line questionnaires and also analyzing the outcomes, elearning platforms etc. Christina Frentzou has participated in scientific meetings, working groups in National and European conferences concerning data archives and research infrastructures for social science research

Concepción Arrayá Zaragoza is currently carrying out a doctoral investigation into the influence of Tagore's literary works and thought in the texts of Juan Ramón Jiménez, which she will focus on against the background of the theory of plasticity developed by Ranjan Gosh.

I am an Indian post-doctoral researcher at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, researching how Hindu religious populism is used against Christian and Muslim minorities in India. My PhD (Human Rights in Contemporary Societies) from the same university focused on the conflict between Hindu nationalism and Human rights and Secularism in India. I have an MSc. (University of Southeastern Norway) in Human Rights and M.A. (History, from Pondichery University, India) and B.A (HONS) in Ancient Indian History, civilization, Art and Archaeology from Banaras Hindu University, India. I wrote about Orientalism, Hindu nationalism, and human rights. Currently, I hold a National Slovakian scholarship for research and am based at Comenius University, Bratislava until May 2025.

My research interests have revolved around the cultural and literary connections between India and Slovenia in the wider historical context of former Yugoslavia and East-Central Europe. My area of study encompasses (post)colonial Indian modernity, Bengali literature, Anglophone Indian writers, the history of nationalisms and universalisms in South Asia and Europe, intellectual history of ideas (e.g. hospitality), avant-garde artistic movements between the two world wars, missionary encounters with India, etc. My approach draws critically on cultural and postcolonial studies perspectives.

I hold a Phd in the Modern History of SouthEastern Europe. Currently, I work as a Postdoctoral researcher at the Democritus University of Thrace (Greece). Within the framework of various research projects and initiatives, I collaborate with research institutions, academic associations, and scholars across Europe and beyond. I am particularly experienced in archival research.