Ambedkar-Kalaignar Fellowship launched for T.N. students at SOAS

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The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, has announced the launch of the Ambedkar-Kalaignar Social Justice and Federalism Visiting Fellowship, a first-of-its-kind opportunity that will enable Tamil Nadu students to undertake a three-month fellowship in London.

Open to researchers, journalists, lawyers, policy makers, civil society practitioners, activists and writers working on themes related to Dravidian studies, democracy, federalism, social justice and human rights, the Fellowship reflects the far-reaching intellectual and public impact of BR Ambedkar and M. Karunanidhi.

“The newly introduced Fellowship is a tribute to the transformative visions of Ambedkar and Karunanidhi and supports work dedicated to dignity, inclusion and social justice,” said Sabarisan Vedamurthy, a Chennai-based tech entrepreneur who helped SOAS establish the Fellowship through rolling annual contribution.

Mr Sabarisan had earlier established a fellowship for a research fellow at Cambridge University in Karunanidhi’s name – along with his wife Senthamarai, the daughter of Prime Minister MK Stalin.

He noted that preference will be given to applicants from Tamil Nadu, especially those from marginalized communities, reinforcing the Fellowship’s commitment to expanding access and supporting underrepresented voices.

“The scholarship will fully fund travel, visa fee, quarterly stipend and term fees, allowing visiting scholars to devote themselves fully to research, writing and professional research during their stay in London,” Mr. Sabarisan said.

He has already donated 200 books on the Dravidian Movement to the SOAS library.

Guest Members will be actively integrated into the academic life of SOAS. They will receive mentoring from the Director of the South Asia Institute, attend seminars and workshops, participate in relevant modules and receive an academic participation certificate at the end of the semester.