Robert Zydenbos (Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich)

Prof. Dr. Robert J. Zydenbos
Institut für Indologie und Iranistik
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1
D-80539 München
GERMANY

phone: 49/89-2180-5782
Fax:   49/89-2180-5827
email: zydenbos@lrz.uni-muenchen.de
email: zydenbos@gmx.li

Description of work:

Research interests:
- Kannada language and literature; Sanskrit, Prakrit; Tulu, Tamil
- religion and philosophy in India, particularly southern India
- intercultural and religious psychology; intercultural communications
- Jainism (esp. southern Digambara Jainism); Buddhism
- Dvaita Vedanta, i.e., the tradition of Madhva
- Virasaivism
- contemporary Indian literature

Brief background:
Two doctorandus degrees (Indian philosophy and Dravidian studies)
followed by a D.Litt. from the University of Utrecht (the Netherlands).
Further studies in Indian religions and languages at the South Asia
Institute, Univ. of Heidelberg (Germany). Taught Sanskrit at the Univ. of
Heidelberg; later taught Jaina philosophy at the Univ. of Madras (India);
later taught Sanskrit, Buddhism and South Asian religions at the Univ. of
Toronto (Canada).  First Westerner (binational: Canadian / Dutch) to
write a doctoral thesis on contemporary Kannada fiction.

Present activities:
Writing the first comprehensive Western history of Kannada literature;
translating Kannada literature into German and English. Also translating
Dvaitin, Virasaiva and Jaina writings from Sanskrit.  Has lived in India
(Mysore) for 16 years.



[Institut fuer Indologie und Iranistik]
[Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich]