Digital Humanities: Lecture Series

The Digital Humanities Lecture Series, co-organized by IIT Jodhpur and Christ University, Lavasa, was an interdisciplinary initiative that explored the evolving relationship between technology, culture, and humanistic studies. Designed to foster scholarly engagement, the series brought together expert speakers, researchers, students, and thought leaders to discuss contemporary developments in Digital Humanities (DH).

The series commenced on October 5, 2024, with a session titled "Game On: The Art and Analysis of Video Game Narratives," presented by Aaron George, Assistant Professor at Christ University. This session delved into the narrative structures of video games and their impact on digital culture. By examining the intersection of storytelling and interactivity, the talk highlighted the role of video games as a significant medium in contemporary digital narratives.

The second session, held on October 19, 2024, was delivered by Supreet Kaur, a Doctoral Fellow at IIT Jodhpur. Her talk, "Preserving Crafts and Knowledge from the Physical World to the Digital World," focused on the digital preservation of Rajasthan’s heritage crafts using artificial intelligence and knowledge graphs. By demonstrating how traditional craftsmanship could be archived and sustained through digital methodologies, this session shed light on the broader implications of heritage conservation in the digital age.

On November 9, 2024, the third session featured Rimi Nandy, Assistant Professor at Christ University, speaking on "Cultures and Spaces in the Digital Age: A Narrative Approach to Digitality." With her research expertise in social media narratives and autofiction, Nandy explored how digital spaces influenced modern storytelling and shaped cultural identities. Her talk provided valuable insights into the interplay between digital environments and contemporary narrative structures.

The fourth session, held on November 16, 2024, featured Assistant Professor Rachel Philip from IIT Jodhpur, who presented a session titled "Questions Concerning Technology-Enhanced Learning." Drawing on Heidegger’s philosophy, she discussed the challenges of designing a language-learning game for young learners. Her talk provided critical insights into the pedagogical implications of integrating technology in education, particularly in the context of language acquisition.

The fifth session, conducted on November 23, 2024, was led by Assistant Professor Naived George Eapen from Christ University, who spoke on "Exploring Basics of Python for Literature Analysis." With expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and programming languages, Eapen introduced participants to the application of Python in literary analysis. His session bridged the gap between computational methods and literary studies, demonstrating how digital tools could enhance textual interpretation.

The sixth session of the series, held on November 30, 2024, was led by Dr. Natasa Thoudam, Assistant Professor at IIT Jodhpur. As a scholar of comics studies, she shared her experiences in the field and discussed her plans to establish a Comics Studies lab at IIT Jodhpur. With affiliations at SOAS University of London and the University of Edinburgh, Dr. Thoudam provided a unique perspective on the intersection of comics and digital humanities, making this session particularly relevant for those interested in visual storytelling and digital scholarship.

The Digital Humanities Lecture Series served as a platform for interdisciplinary discourse, bringing together themes such as gaming narratives, digital heritage preservation, social media storytelling, technology-enhanced learning, and computational approaches to literature. Through these diverse sessions, the series underscored the expanding role of digital methodologies in humanities research and education.