YEREVAN, Armenia — The American University of Armenia (AUA) is pleased to welcome Dr. Rachit Anand as an assistant professor in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Dr. Anand’s research focuses on postcolonial literature, novel studies, psychoanalysis, and critical theory. He completed his Ph.D. in comparative literature at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, in 2023, and subsequently taught in the English Department at the same institute as a visiting assistant professor for two years.
In his first book project, Dr. Anand charts how allegorical writing intersected with and impacted the Apartheid regime in South Africa, centering on the Nobel Prize-winning South African novelist J.M. Coetzee. Parts of this project have appeared in Cultural Critique and a Bloomsbury collected volume. His ongoing research examines the role cultural and literary translation plays in shaping postcolonial cosmopolitanism in the Anglophone world. In 2024, Dr. Anand spent a month at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas as a research fellow, conducting archival research on this topic. His article based on these findings will be published in the forthcoming issue of English in Africa. He is also co-editing an issue of Penumbr(a): A Journal of Psychoanalysis and Modernity, titled “Psychoanalysis from Elsewhere,” which features contributions from scholars working at the crossroads of psychoanalysis and decolonization.
Reflecting on what excites him most about joining AUA, Dr. Anand noted, “I am most excited about contributing to the story of how an American-style university system — which does not compromise in excellence or rigor — can be made a reality in locations outside of what we traditionally understand as the West.” Drawing on eight years of academic experience in the United States and his formative academic training in India, he sees himself as “well equipped to undertake this task,” adding that “AUA offers the perfect opportunity for this endeavor, with the support of an administration and fellow faculty members who are all invested in the same vision.”
Dr. Anand remarked that his primary goal at AUA is to expand the range of texts and discourses in English literature classrooms, developing interpretive methods that allow historically marginalized voices to be heard. In the immediate term, his focus remains on teaching, completing his ongoing research projects, and finalizing his book manuscript.
Dr. Anand’s research interests are closely tied to his teaching philosophy. Central to this work is the way he brings together postcolonial studies, psychoanalysis, and literary theory to examine how allegory responded to political contexts such as Apartheid. While he teaches the traditional canons of English literature, his emphasis lies in what those canons omit. “The key point of emphasis in my work is how literary forms hold the possibility to articulate silenced voices and messages that are illegible or disarticulated in other discourses,” he remarked. “I wish to develop my students’ attentiveness and empathy toward lives that might appear marginal but are integral to shaping our world.”
Having taught across diverse contexts in India and the United States, Dr. Anand values the dynamism of a diverse student body. He adapts his lessons to student needs, often allowing them to determine which aspects of a text resonate most with the challenges they face today. “The central thrust of my teaching is based on guiding students through the complex process of (re)interpreting history from today’s perspective,” he explained.
In conclusion, Dr. Anand expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome he has received in Armenia, remarking that “the culture, food, and public art of Yerevan are truly inimitable.” He added that he is eager to deepen his connection with the AUA community and to get to know his students better as the semester unfolds.
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.