Ajayant Katoch completed a B.Sc. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from King’s College London and an M.A. in Critical and Creative Analysis from Goldsmiths, University of London.
In his previous academic studies, Ajayant carried out field research in several locations across the Western Himalayas. For his undergraduate degree, he conducted fieldwork in the village of Malana in Kullu, resulting in a dissertation titled “Hashish, Homestays, and Hydroelectricity: A Political Economy of Parvati Valley.” During his postgraduate studies, his fieldwork extended to various locations in Kangra, which led to a dissertation titled “Thinking Through Spirits: Puch Divination and Ilaaj Healing Practices in the Western Himalayas.”
Working at the interstices of philosophy, religious studies, medical humanities, and cultural ecologies, Ajayant’s doctoral research focuses on investigating diverse cosmoecological ways of living among humans and nonhumans in the Dhauladhar region of the Western Himalayas. He is also interested in various aspects of visual arts and cultures, and maintains an active art practice across different media.
