Dr. Rajakumar Guduru is an English scholar and Assistant Professor at IIT Bhubaneswar. He is now a guest at the Chair of English Literatures of Prof. Stefan Horlacher for two months. During his stay in Dresden, he will continue to work on a DAAD-funded research project on inclusion.

Rajakumar Guduru has obtained his M.A. English (TESL), M. Phil. English (ELT), and Ph.D. English (ELT) from The English and Foreign Languages University (formerly CIEFL), Hyderabad. His teaching interests are English language skills (LSRW), vocabulary, pronunciation, communication and soft-skills to rural learners. His research interests are developing strategies for teaching and learning vocabulary in the ESL context, academic writing skills, and metacognitive reading strategies. Dr. Rajakumar Guduru received a TESOL Grant, a DAAD Fellowship, a Ford Foundation Fellowship, a Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship, and an EFL University Grant for pursuing his higher education and research.

He has received the ‘Teaching excellence Award’ consecutively several times since he joined at IIT Bhubaneswar. He has completed a Seed Grant project, and a GIAN project, and is at present working on three ICSSR sponsored projects, and a SPARC sponsored project. Currently, he is working as assistant professor of English at the School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Management, Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar. He teaches various language and communciation courses such as: English for Communication; Scientific and Technical Writing; Introduction to Literature; Global Communication; Learning English; Preparatory English. He worked as Guest faculty at the University of Hyderabad, India, as Assistant Professor of English at the National Institute of Technology, Warangal, India, as Assistant Professor of English at the University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia, and was Visiting Faculty at IIM, Rohtak.

In the following interview, he tells us more about his research in Dresden.

Name: Dr. Rajakumar Guduru
Position/Professorship: Visiting researcher at the Chair of English Literatures (Prof. Stefan Horlacher)
Institute/Faculty: Institute of English and American Studies, Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies

How do you like Dresden?
For me Dresden is a captivating city that blends a rich history with a vibrant cultural scene - Florence on the Elbe. The city has a welcoming, laid-back atmosphere, enhanced by its art galleries, museums, and lively riverside. I am happy to witness Dresden’s resilient spirit shining through its architecture and locals alike, making it a place where the past and present meet beautifully, offering a unique experience to anyone who visits. So far I have been enjoying a variety of foods as well as the nice, cold climate. I have enjoyed my visit to the city center, witnessed the famous Dresden Marathon 2024; went on a bike ride with Prof. Stefan Horlacher to the village side places, and enjoyed the dinner get-together with my post-doc colleague Dr. Esther Mavengano at the Indian Restaurant hosted by Prof. Horlacher and his wife.

Is it your first time in Germany and Dresden?
This is my second memorable visit to TU Dresden.

What is your connection to TU Dresden?
I visited TU Dresden as PhD Research Scholar back in 2009 for four months under the DAAD-Student Cultural Exchange Fellowship.

What are your main interests as a researcher? Which topics do you focus on? 
Vocabulary Development; Academic Writing Skills; Inclusive Education

What was your most interesting research topic so far?
Lexicology – Basic Vocabulary Development of Disadvantaged Students in the Indian Context

What will be the focus of your research at TU Dresden?
Inclusive Education: Understanding Teaching-Learning Practices at Schools in Saxony

Which item do you absolutely need at your workplace?
My family photo.

Do you have a favourite quote? If so, what is it and from whom?
“Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” — MOTHER TERESA

Which movie did you watch recently?
Kalki 2898 AD: Set in a post-apocalyptic world in the year 2898 AD, the film follows a select group who are on a mission to save lab subject SUM-80‘s unborn child, Kalki.

More information about you can be found...
...on Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=j6N-igcAAAAJ), 
Instagram (@Rajakumar Guduru) and YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/@rajakumarguduru)