Mumbai University professors elected to Goethe Society of India roles

Viba Surana, head of the University of Mumbai’s Department of German, has been elected president of the Goethe Society of India for a three-year term. Her colleague, assistant professor Dr Shrikant Arun Pathak, will serve as the society’s general secretary.

The Goethe Society of India, established in 1997, brings together scholars of German language and literature. It promotes research in German studies, academic engagement with German-speaking countries, student cultural-exchange competitions, an annual conference and an annual publication. The society has 227 active members, including 131 life members.

Surana has more than three decades of teaching and research experience and is a Humboldt Research Fellow. She received the Grimm Award in 2018 for work in teaching, research and international cooperation. From 2012 to 2022, she led the ‘My Marathi’ project with actor Aamir Khan and the State Marathi Development Institute, aimed at making Marathi learning easier and encouraging standardised Marathi.

Pathak received the Maharashtra government’s Laxmanshastri Joshi Award in 2023 for translating a German novel into Marathi. He also serves on boards of studies at various universities and works on curriculum development.

University of Mumbai vice-chancellor Ravindra Kulkarni congratulated both professors on their election.