Curriculum Vitae
Prof. Dr. Heike Oberlin
1989 - 1995: studied the South Indian classical dance Bharatanatyam in Stuttgart (Tanzschule Lotus) and in Chennai
1990 - 1999: higher studies in Indology and Cultural Anthropology at the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen
1995 - 1997: joint DAAD and ICCR scholarship for studying the Sanskrit theatre Kutiyattam at the Deemed University Kerala Kalamandalam, India
1995: stage debut as the first foreigner in Kutiyattam, numerable workshops and shows thereafter
since winter 1998/99: regular teaching assignments at the Department of Indology in Tübingen for Malayalam, the culture of Kerala, manuscriptology (palm leaves), and the performing arts of India
1999: acquired the degree of Magistra Artium (Master's Degree) in Indology and Cultural Anthropology at the Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen
since 1999: numerable publications and lectures at different universities and conferences in and out of Germany
2001 - 2005: working in different academic research and teaching positions: Research Associate at the Chair of Indology Würzburg ("Multimediale Datenbank"), at the "Orissa Project" of the Department of Indology in Tübingen, and at the SFB 626 of the Department of Theatre Studies, FU Berlin; teaching of Sanskrit in Tübingen
since 2003: Honorary Chairperson of the Indo-German Cultural Society in Tübingen (Deutsch-Indische Kulturgesellschaft Tübingen e.V.)
2004: PhD in Indology at the Bayerische Julius Maximillians University, Würzburg (summa cum laude)
2005 - 2008: Assistant Professor at the Department of Indology, University of Tübingen
since 2006: elected in the faculty council
2008: recipient of the Ernst-Waldschmidt-Preis 2008 awarded by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation for outstanding academic performance in the field of Indology; managing the start up of the project B14 "Religion on Stage – Traditional Performances in New Public Spheres and Media" at the University of Heidelberg under the Excellence Cluster Program "Asia and Europe in a Global Context - Shifting Asymmetries in Cultural Flows"; elected into the governing body of the newly established "Asien-Orient-Institut" (AOI, Institute for Asian and Oriental Studies) at the University of Tübingen
2008 - 2020: Academic Coordinator of the AOI
since November 2008: Associate Professor at the Dept. of Indology
2008 - 2011: External Research Fellow in Project B14 "Religion in Stage - Traditional Performances in New Public Spheres and Media" at the University of Heidelberg under the Excellence Cluster Program "Asia and Europe"
since August 2010: annual workshops of 3-4 weeks duration together with Prof. David Shulman (Hebrew University) and students from Israel and Tübingen on the topic of Sanskrit theatre in Kerala, India
since October 2010: elected in the council of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Tübingen, as board member of the Department of Asian and Oriental Studies (AOI), and as member of the Structural Commission of the Senate
October 2011: appointment as "Akademische Rätin" at the University of Tübingen
2013 - 2016: together with David Shulman (Hebrew University, Jerusalem) PI of the project "Kudiyattam: Living Sanskrit Theater in the Kerala Tradition", funded by the German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development (GIF) for 4 years
May 2013: habilitation (postdoctoral qualification) and conferment of the "venia legendi" for Indology by the Faculty of Humanities, University of Tübingen (Associate Professor, permanent position)
August 2014: appointment by the Deutsch-Indische Gesellschaft e.V. (German Indian Society) as jury member for the awarding of the Rabindranath Tagore Kulturpreis
2014 - 2019: Equality Officer, Faculty of Humanities, University of Tübingen (Gleichstellungsbeauftragten der Philosophischen Fakultät)
June 2015: appointment as member of the advisory board of the Indian Theatre Journal (ITJ)
2015 - 2017: co-applicant of the project "Farbpräferenzen - ein interdisziplinäres Forschungsvorhaben zum Verhältnis von Farbwahrnehmung und visueller Kultur", funded for 2 years by the Exploration Fund of the University of Tübingen (DFG ZUK 63)
October 2015: establishment of the "Gundert Chair" for Malayalam at Tübingen University in cooperation with the Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University, Tirur
June 2016: DFG grant for 2 years for the project "Das Hermann-Gundert-Portal: Digitalisierung und Erschließung des Nachlasses von Hermann Gundert (Handschriften und Drucke) sowie ergänzender Werke aus seinem Umfeld an der Universitätsbibliothek Tübingen" ["The Hermann-Gundert-Portal: digitization and indexing of the legacy of Hermann Gundert (manuscripts and prints) as well as supplementary works from his surroundings at the University Library of Tübingen"] at the University Library Tübingen (co-applicant)
December 2016: appointed as adjunct / extraordinary professor ("außerplanmäßige Professorin") for Indology at the University of Tübingen
January 2018: "Scholar in Residence" at Kerala Kalamandalam, Deemed University of Art and Culture, under the "Erudite Scheme" of the Kerala State Higher Education Council (flyer of the programme)
2019: Gisela-Bonn-Preis by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and the Deutsch-Indische Gesellschaft (prize-giving ceremonies at Halle 26/11/2019 and the JNU at New Delhi 9/12/2019).
February 2020: appointment as Executive Director of the Dept. of Indology at the University of Tübingen.
2020-2024: Deputy Spokesperson of the DFG Review Board 106 "Social and Cultural Anthropology, Non-European Cultures, Jewish Studies and Religious Studies".
2020: appointment to the advisory board of the international multi-religious music festival Musica Sacra International.
Since 11/2020: Spokesperson of the »State Representation of Academic Staff at Universities in Baden-Wuerttemberg« (LAM-BW).
October 2021: election to the University Board (of Trustees) of the University of Tübingen.
March 2024: election as Deputy University Equal Opportunities Officer at the University of Tübingen and election as representative of the German University Association (DHV) at the University of Tübingen.