Mr Vishal Sangu

Vishal Sangu has a BA (Hons) from the University of Chester in Theology and Religious Studies (2020). Between 2021 (June-July) Vishal undertook a role at the University of Chester as a Research Assistant. His duties included working apart in the development of an inclusive curriculum project, to help decolonise the provision of Sikhi for the department of Theology and Religious Studies. He obtained a Masters by Research (MRes) in Humanities from the University of Wolverhampton (2022). His Masters thesis was titled "'Lost in Translation: Sikhi under Colonial Discourse', tracing the interactions and influence of colonialism on Sikh identity and its effects on the wider Sikh diaspora.

Vishal is currently undertaking a PhD in Religious Studies looking at British Sikh religious identity and exploring contemporary Sikh narratives of decolonisation. Vishal reflects on how contemporary British Sikhs are decolonising their identity by reclaiming their history, challenging stereotypes, engaging in political and social activism, reviving their cultural practices, and reinterpreting their religious teachings in ways that assert their place within British society. This process of decolonisation is multifaceted, often blending historical reflection with modern-day resistance to colonial structures that still persist.

His research is funded by the Oxford-Open-Cambridge Arts and Humanities Doctoral Partnership.