Christine Kupfer is Research Fellow at the Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies, where she has worked since 2013. She has done extensive research on Tagore and published papers, book chapters and a book.

In her recently published book Bildung zum Weltmenschen, she analyses the little explored links between Tagore’s philosophical anthropology and his practical work as an educator. Her research and publications on Tagore have been funded by the German National Academic Foundation and the Excellence Initiative at Heidelberg University.

Other research projects that Christine has carried out draw on her background in social/medical anthropology and education. These include research on child psychiatry in India and on Ayurveda in Germany.  Dr Kupfer coordinated the original website content for The Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies.

Research and Publications

Monographs

Kupfer, Christine 2014. Bildung zum Weltmenschen: Rabindranath Tagores Anthropologie und Pädagogik. [Education Towards Universal Man: Rabindranath Tagore’s philosophical anthropology and pedagogy.] Bielefeld: Transcript.

Kupfer, Christine (in preparation). Becoming Universal: Rabindranath Tagore’s philosophy and pedagogy. Book manuscript.

Journal Articles and Book

Kupfer, Christine  (accepted). “Learning through Atmopshere. Rabindranath Tagore’s key concept in comparison with recent developments in Education and Cultural Theory,” Gitanjali & Beyond, 1.

Ecks, Stefan & Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Oct). “‘What is Strange is That We Don’t Have More Children Coming to Us’: A habitography of child psychiatrists and scholastic pressure in Kolkata, India”, Social Science & Medicine, Volume 143, pp. 336-342.

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (May). “Inside out and outside in. Thinking a Tagorean Future of Education.” Special Issue “Rabindranath Tagore’s Global Vision,” Literature Compass, Volume 12 (5), pp. 206-18.

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Oct). “Isolation or Connection? Tagore’s education towards the universal as pedagogical province.” In Michael Mann (ed.). Shantiniketan – Hellerau. New Education in the ‘Pedagogic Provinces’ of India and Germany. Heidelberg: Draupadi, pp. 285-308.

Kupfer, Christine (2009). Rabindranath Tagores Bildung zum Weltmenschen – ein Beispiel interkultureller Pädagogik. [Rabindranath Tagore’s Education Towards Universal Man – an Example of Intercultural Education.] In Elisabeth Zwick (ed.). Pädagogik als Dialog der Kulturen. Grundlagen und Diskursfelder der interkulturellen Pädagogik. [Pedagogy as Dialogue of Cultures. Foundations and discourses of intercultural education.] Berlin: Litt, p. 227-260.

Website Articles

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Jul). “Timeline of Rabindranath Tagore.” Tikitoki:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Mar). “Tagore and Education.” Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Mar). “Tagore’s Philosophy.” Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Mar). “Tagore and Einstein.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Feb). “Dwarkanath Tagore (1794-1864), Rabindranath’s grandfather.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Feb). “Digambari Devi (nee Roy Chowdhury), Rabindranath’s grandmother.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Feb). “Debendranath Tagore (1817-1905), father of Rabindranath.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Feb). “Sarada Devi (1830-1875), mother of Rabindranath.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Feb). “Dwijendranath Tagore (1840–1926), brother of Rabindranath.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Feb). “Satyendranath Tagore (1842–1923), brother of Rabindranath.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Feb). “Jyotirindranath Tagore (1849–1925), brother of Rabindranath.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Feb). “Kadambari Devi (1859-1884), Rabindranath’s sister-in-law.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Feb). “Mrinalini Devi (Bhabatarini Raichoudhuri), 1872-1902, Rabindranath’s wife.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Feb). “Madhurilata (Bela), 1886-1918, daughter of Rabindranath.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Feb). “Rathindranath Tagore (1888-1961), son of Rabindranath.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Feb). “Samindranath Tagore (1894-1907), son of Rabindranath.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Feb). “Mira Devi (1892-1962), daughter of Rabindranath.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Feb). “Renuka Devi (1890–1904), daughter of Rabindranath.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Feb). “Indira Devi Chaudhurani (1873 – 1960), niece of Rabindranath.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Feb). “Gaganendranath Tagore (1867 – 1938), Rabindranath’s cousin.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Kupfer, Christine 2015 (Feb). “Abanindranath Tagore (1871 – 1951), Rabindranath’s cousin.“ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies:

Talks and Conference Papers

Christine Kupfer (March 2016), “Rabindranath Tagore.” Invited talk, organized by BigLit in Gatehouse of Fleet.

Christine Kupfer (March 2016), “Korczak and Tagore.” Invited talk, organized by Kulturtandem, Artes Liberalis and South Asian Institute, Heidelberg, Germany.

Christine Kupfer (Oct 2015), “Expressing the Self, Renouncing the Self: Comparing the Educational Philosophies of Vivekananda and Tagore” Plenary Talk, presented at the conference “Impact and Internationalism: The Life and Thoughts of Sri Aurobindo and Swami Vivekananda,” organised by the Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies, Edinburgh Napier University and the Edinburgh International Centre for Spirituality and Peace in Edinburgh, UK.

Christine Kupfer (June 2015). “Audience as active participants.” Introduction to musical event “Tagore in Symphony”, organized by Christine Kupfer/ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies, UK.

Christine Kupfer (May 2015). “Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies – website and social media presence.” Launching the website and at “Celebrating Tagore,” to musical event “Tagore in Symphony”, organized by

Christine Kupfer/ Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies, UK.

Christine Kupfer (2014), “‘Atmosphere’ as key to Rabindranath Tagore’s spiritual education,” Plenary Talk presented on 8 Nov at “Rabindranath Tagore’s Spirituality: Artistic, Educational and Political Expressions”, organised by the Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies, Edinburgh Napier University and the Edinburgh International Centre for Spirituality and Peace in Edinburg, UK.

Christine Kupfer (2014), “Tagores Imperialismus der Liebe” [Tagore’s imperialism of love], public book reading  and round table discussion in Innsbruck, Austria.

Christine Kupfer (2012), “Education Towards the Universal: The Future of Tagore’s Educational Ideas.” Paper presented at “International Tagore Conference on ‘Tagore: The Global Impact of the Writer in the Community’”, organised by the Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies, Napier University, Edinburgh.

Christine Kupfer (2011), “Unwordly or all-worldly? Tagore’s educational philosophy at Shantiniketan.” Paper presented at conference “Shantiniketan-Hellerau: Universalistische Erziehung in der pädagogischen Provinz” [Shantiniketan-Hellerau: Universalist education in the pedagogical province], organised by the Centre for South Asia Studies, Humboldt-Universität Berlin.

Christine Kupfer (2010), “Ethnologische Perspektiven auf Emotionen und Psychopharmaka.“ [Anthropological Perspectives on Emotions and Psychopharmaceuticals.] Paper presented at the Summer Academy of the German National Academic Foundation.

Christine Kupfer (2007), “Authentizität und die Konstruktion des Selbst.“ [Authenticity and the Construction of Self.] Paper presented at the Summer Academy of the German National Academic Foundation.

Christine Kupfer (2004), “Ayurveda in Germany: doshas as self-care.” Paper presented at Medical Anthropology working group, University of Heidelberg.