LSST Gains International Recognition as LSST Elephant and Castle Lecturer Leads Groundbreaking Mental Health Research at Global Forum
By Kunal Chan Mehta | Article Date: 16 July 2025
LSST is proud to announce a landmark achievement as Dr Dhaneswar Bhoi, Lecturer and Researcher in Sociology at LSST Elephant and Castle – and Honorary Fellow at the University of Edinburgh – led two pivotal research sessions at the 2025 International Sociological Association (ISA) Forum in Rabat, Morocco.
Representing LSST’s commitment to socially responsive research, Dr Bhoi organised and chaired two internationally acclaimed sessions based on the Sociology of Mental Health and Illness:
Academic Achievement, Mental Health and Wellbeing: Racial and Ethnic Minority Students in Higher Education
Cast(ed) Emotional Transactions and Self-Harm: Unpacking Caste-Embedded Narratives in Indian Higher Education
Both sessions drew participation from academics across the UK, Cambodia, China and Hong Kong, firmly establishing LSST’s presence in global academic conversations on mental health equity, race, caste and structural inequality in higher education.
“This research speaks to the very soul of what higher education should stand for,” said Dr Dhaneswar Bhoi, Lecturer in Sociology at LSST Elephant and Castle. “We must move from simply acknowledging mental health issues to actively dismantling the social structures – racial, caste-based or otherwise – that perpetuate emotional harm in academic spaces.”
Dr Bhoi’s presentations, which combined Goffman’s theory of stigma (1963) and Pearlin’s stress process model (1981) with lived student and staff narratives, were widely recognised as setting new standards for engaged and critical sociology. His analysis of racial minority stress in UK higher education and caste-based emotional trauma in Indian universities captured both theoretical rigour and human-centred impact.
Eniana Gobuzi, Associate Dean for LSST’s Elephant and Castle Campus, stated, “Dr Bhoi’s leadership has brought honour to LSST internationally. His efforts exemplify the academic bravery and cultural accountability that oppose cultural disadvantages we aim to eliminate in higher education worldwide.”
The presentations, chaired by Professor Jeremy Dixon, a Reader in Social Work at the Centre for Adult Social Care Research (CARE) at Cardiff University, and Dr Bhoi’s sessions, were formally recognised as models for future engaged sociological research. Plans are now underway for a series of edited volumes and special issues in several leading international sociology journals with LSST’s involvement.
“This is yet another defining moment for LSST,” said Syed Rizvi, Academic Dean of LSST Elephant and Castle and LSST Stratford and Dean of Learning and Teaching. “Dr Bhoi’s research not only advances academic insight but also makes a direct contribution to policy and practice in higher education. It challenges us all to create institutions that further prioritise wellbeing, equity and dignity alongside achievement.”
Dr Bhoi expressed his heartfelt thanks to LSST’s leadership, including Mr Ali Jafar Zaidi, LSST’s Deputy CEO, for its “intensive support and encouragement”. His work continues with co-authored academic publications and collaborative research groups dedicated to exploring how structural violence – including racial, caste-based and intersectional inequalities – shape academic experiences worldwide.
“Despite our outstanding NSS 2025 scores, true academic excellence is not measured by rankings alone,” added Eniana. “It is measured by the courage to confront uncomfortable truths and by the compassion we show every student and colleague.”
Through Dr Bhoi’s pioneering work, LSST continues to define itself at the forefront in critical and justice-oriented research – committed to building a more inclusive and compassionate academic world.
Read about Dr Bhoi’s Caste Dynamics presentation at Oxford University here.
For additional information or to set up an interview with Dr Bhoi, please direct questions to LSST’s Public Relations Manager via kunal.mehta@lsst.ac.
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