Members

Fr. Pushpa Anbu SVD holds a doctorate in Islamic Studies from Jamia Milllia Islamia,  New Delhi. He has been engaged in the ministry of Inter-religious dialogue and  Ecumenism and formation for long. He served as a secretary of CCBI (Conference of Catholic Bishops in India) Commission for Ecumenism as well as of Islamic Studies Association for a number of years. Presently he serves as the General Secretary for Formation and Education for the Society of the Divine Word and President of Islamic Studies Association, New Delhi. 

Fr .Joseph Victor Edwin is a Jesuit priest teaching Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at Vidyajyoti Institute of Religious Studies, 23 Raj Niwas Marg, Delhi. He is serving as editor of the quarterly Salaam, secretary of Islamic Studies Association,  director of VIDIS (Vidyajyoti Institute, Department of Islamic Studies). He holds a PhD from the department of Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.  

Fr. Varkey Perekkatt, SJ, born on July 16, 1940 is a member of the Delhi Province of the Society of Jesus.  He has held a number of administrative posts in the Society like Rector of Satya Nilayam, Chennai, Superior of Delhi Region , Provincial of South Asia, Provincial of Delhi Province, Field Director, Bhtanese Refugee Education Program, Damak, Nepal, Rector, St. Xavier's School, Jaipur, Parish Priest, St Xavier's Church, Jaipur etc. He has been associated with ISA from its inception. At present he leads a kind of semi retired life. He spends his time by directing retreat and other pastoral ministries. He is currently our Treasurer.

Fr Sunil Tirkey, OP, is a Dominican friar from the Indian province. He has obtained a diploma in the Arabic language from Cairo and has completed M.A. in Islamic Studies from the American University in Cairo. He teaches courses on Islam at St. Charles Seminary, Nagpur, and Gyandhara Dominican Institute of Philosophy, Goa.  Besides, he engages in inter-religious dialogue and preaching ministry. He is assigned to St. Dominic Ashram, Seminary Hills, Nagpur 440006, India. He is currently a member

Fr. Midhun J Francis Kochukallan SJ is a Jesuit priest from Kerala in, India. He is a research scholar at the Pontificia Università Gregoriana in Rome, specialising in Christian-Muslim interfaith relationships in the faculty of Missiology. He holds a Licentiate in Systematic Theology from JD, Pune, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Studies from Henry Martyn Institute, Hyderabad, and diplomas in Arabic and Urdu. He also has a Master’s degree in Philosophy from Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune. He has attended a number of seminars on interfaith dialogue internationally. He works with the South Asian Jesuit Conference on Christian-Muslim relations. He also writes for a number of English and Malayalam magazines and newspapers. He is currently a member.

Fr Arokya Swamy SJ is a Jesuit priest of the Delhi Jesuit Province. Hails from Karnataka and at present working in Jaipur (St. Xavier’s Institutional Complex) as Rector and Manager. He is a social scientist with a PhD in Sociology from the University of Innsbruck, Austria. He strongly believes and works for Women's Empowerment for social transformation in a caste-ridden Indian patriarchal society. He also teaches sociology to the UG students at St. Xavier’s College, Jaipur. He is currently a member.

Fr. Joseph Kalathil SJ writes: "My call is a prophetic call. When I was in the womb of my mother my name was decided to be, 'JOSEPH '.the very day I was ordained, I was sent to administer the sacrament of the sick to an ordinary worker admitted in the Naval hospital in Cochin. All through my fifty five years as a priest, I have been associated with poor people. So my photo will remain incomplete without a poor with me". Fr. Joseph Kalathil SJ is a member of Islamic Studies Association.

Fr. Christian W. Troll SJ is a founding member of Islamic Studies Association.  He is one of the foremost Catholic scholars in Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations.  He was the Honorary Professor for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at the Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule St. Georgen in Frankfurt, Germany. He was a Professor at the Vidyajyoti Institute of Religious Studies in Delhi, a Senior lecturer at the Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations in Birmingham, a Professor of Islamic Institutions at the Pontifical Oriental Institute, and a regular Guest Professor at Ankara University. Among his books are Sayyid Ahmad Khan, A Reinterpretation of Muslim Theology, Dialogue and Difference, Islam in India: Studies and Commentaries (editor). He is a lifetime member of the Islamic Studies Association.

Sr. Gerardette Philips  is a Religious of the Sacred Heart- RSCJ. Engaged in Muslim- Christian dialogue, Sr. Gera is based in Indonesia teaching in Parahyangan Catholic University and State Islamic University. She has been a consultor in the Discastery for Interreligious Dialogue.   She holds a PhD from Sekolah Tinggi Filsafat  Driyakara Jakarta in Interreligious Dialogue. She is a member of the Islamic Studies Association.

 Fr. Joby Alamthanathu is a Catholic Priest from Jammu-Srinagar Diocese, interested in interfaith dialogue, particularly with the Muslim community. Ordained as a priest in 2015, he has dedicated his life to fostering understanding, mutual respect, and cooperation among people of different faiths. In 2017, Fr. Joby completed his Master's in Theology (MTh) from Vidyajyoti College of Theology, a renowned institution in India. This theological education has enabled him to explore the richness of his own Catholic tradition while also developing an appreciation for the teachings and practices of other religions. From 2017 to 2022, Fr. Joby served in various roles within the parishes and schools of Jammu & Kashmir. His experiences as a Parish Priest, Manager, and Bursar have provided him with invaluable insights into the challenges faced by the local community and the importance of building bridges of understanding and harmony. Currently Fr. Joby is pursuing his Ph.D. in Missiology, specializing in Christian-Muslim Dialogue, deepening his understanding of the principles, methods, and dynamics of interfaith dialogue from the University of Urbaniana in Rome 

 Profile

A noted educationist, activist, an Islamic / Sufi scholar, a firm believer and contributor of inter-religious harmony, and a Jesuit priest – these are a few of the several feathers in the cap of the Vice-Chancellor of St Joseph’s University, Reverend Dr Victor Lobo SJ. Fr Dr Victor obtained his BA (Urdu), BPh(Philosophy), BTh (Theology), MA (English), PGCTE and then completed PhD in Sufi Literature. He has received over 17 years of Jesuit education.

Initiatives

• On 17 April 2015, he was appointed Principal of St Joseph's College (Autonomous), Bengaluru, and led the institution expansion in new directions by starting up new four Post Degree Programmes and four Certificate Course.
• He has played a pivotal role in the transformation of the College into a University under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) 2.0 by the MHRD
•  Fr Dr Victor has actively promoted NCC and NSS activities within the institution.
• Under his supervision, the Institution received a facelift in the guise of the Magis Block and the New Administrative Block.

 Awards and Recognition

• As an educator with over 19 years of experience, he has attended over seventy-five seminars,presented papers, and won a number of honours.
• In recognition of the college adoption of 18 Government Schools, the Honourable Chief Minister of Karnataka presented Fr Dr Victor Lobo SJ with an award in 2020. (contd.. above)

•  In 2021, he received the All India Best Principal Award from the All India Association for Christian Higher Education (AIACHE), in which over 200 colleges across India participated.
• Falcon Foundation awarded him the Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Teaching Excellence Award in 2022.
• The UGC nominated Fr Victor to upgrade Indira Priyadarshini Govt. Degree College for Women in Nampally, Hyderabad, to an autonomous college
• UGC appointed him to upgrade Colleges, namely, Salesian College Sonada (SCS) in Siliguri,Darjeeling, and Farook College in Calicut to College with Potential for Excellence (CPE) status.
• He is recognized as one of the eminent educationists who is committed to shaping the future of education, making significant contributions to education research and development

Contributions

• Fr Dr Victor travels across the nation and the globe for meetings and conferences, visits prestigious universities and institutions, and implements international best practices at St Joseph's University.
• His most recent accomplishments include delivering the keynote address at the Centre for Education Growth and Research Education Summit, which over 300 educationists from across India attended.
• In addition to serving on several national and international organisations boards, he has visited over 14 countries.
• He is a member of JAM (Jesuits Among Muslims); JAMIA (Jesuits Among Muslims in Asia); JAMI(Jesuits Among Muslims in India); and ISA (Islamic Studies Association) and is on the Board of SALAAM. He was applauded for being the first Christian priest to flag off the Haj flights by singing the Qur’anic verses cum special Haj prayers in Arabic in the presence of 7000 pilgrims and over 30,000 people. He has travelled across several countries, his most recent visit being Jakarta, Indonesia, where he attended the JAMIA Conference.