Deaf scholar makes history as first full professor of deaf studies in the UK
deaf community. This remarkable aspect of daily life on the Mumbai trains has been extensively documented by Annelies Kusters, a pioneering scholar who recently achieved the distinction of becoming the UK's first deaf full professor in the field of deaf studies and sign language studies.
While Europe and the United States have long seen deaf professors in these areas, the UK had lagged behind, with only hearing individuals holding full professor positions, numbering around 10 to 15.
Annelies Kusters, who has dedicated nearly two decades to studying deaf communities worldwide, has now broken down this barrier, advancing to the position of professor in sociolinguistics at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, where she previously served as an associate professor in the Department of Languages and Intercultural Studies.
Annelies Kusters recognizes the significance of her achievement and attributes it to the deaf lecturers and scholars who have played pivotal roles in her education. Her commitment extends to supporting the next generation of scholars, ensuring that they too can stand on the shoulders of those who came before.
Her research primarily focuses on observing deaf individuals in their everyday lives, taking her to diverse locations such as Brazil, Denmark, France, Ghana, India, Italy, Kenya, and Suriname.
For instance, during her PhD research in a Ghanaian village with a high prevalence of hereditary deafness, Kusters delved into the local sign language and its role in daily communication and social interactions among both deaf and hearing residents.
In the bustling context of Mumbai, she explored the interactions between deaf and hearing people on overcrowded train carriages. These trains, in addition to
