John Felix Raj is the Founder Vice-Chancellor and a professor of economics at St. Xavier's University, Kolkata (SXUK), India. He is a

Jesuit priest , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

of the Calcutta province of the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

. He was the Rector from 1996 to 2002 and Principal from 2009 to 2017 of

St. Xavier's College, Kolkata St. Xavier's College is a private, Catholic, autonomous higher education college under Calcutta University run by the Calcutta Province of the Society of Jesus in Kolkata, India. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1860 and named after St. Fra ...

Early life

Raj was born on 26 August 1954 in Poolangudi,

Ramanathapuram district Ramanathapuram District, also known as Ramnad District, is one of the 38 districts an administrative districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The old Ramanathapuram District consists of Present day Virudhunagar Virudhunagar is a c ...

, Tamil Nadu. He completed his school education at St. Michael's School, Sengudi and at St. Mary's High School,

Thoothukudi Thoothukudi (formerly Tuticorin) is a port city, a municipal corporation and an industrial city in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The city lies in the Coromandel Coast of Bay of Bengal. Thoothukudi is the capital and he ...

Education

He joined the Jesuit Order in 1974 at the age of 20. He graduated from

Loyola College, Chennai Loyola College is a private Catholic higher education institution run by the Society of Jesus in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It was founded in 1925 by the French Jesuit priest, Francis Bertram, along with other European Jesuits. It is an auto ...

in 1980 in Economics and acquired a master's degree from

St Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli (SJC) is a Catholic college in Tamil Nadu, India. It was established in 1844 by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and it is regarded as one of the most prestigious institutions in India. It was affiliated wi ...

. He underwent his Jesuit training of philosophy in Pune at JDV and theology at Delhi Vidyajothi Institute respectively. He was ordained priest on 23 April 1989. He completed his Ph.D. in economics in

Rabindra Bharati University Rabindra Bharati University is a public research university in Kolkata, India. It was founded on May 8, 1962, under the Rabindra Bharati Act of the Government of West Bengal in 1961, to mark the birth centenary of the poet Rabindranath Tagore. ...

, Kolkata.

Career

Raj was the Director and Secretary of the Goethals Indian Library and Research Society in Kolkata from 1996 to 2021. Raj opened a rural campus at

Raghabpur Raghabpur is a census town and a gram panchayat in the Purulia II CD block in the Purulia Sadar subdivision of the Purulia district in the state of West Bengal, India. Geography Location Ramchondropur Ramchondropur is l ...

of St. Xavier's College, Kolkata in 2014. Raj took over as the first Vice-Chancellor of St. Xavier's University, Kolkata (SXUK) from 16 February 2017. Raj was named

Banga Bibhushan Banga Bibhushan Samman ( bn, বঙ্গবিভূষণ) is a title instituted by the West Bengal government to honour the services of personalities in various fields. The Banga Ratna Samman and the Banga Bhushan Samman ("Bengal ornament" ব� ...

and Siksha Ratna in 2014 and 2016 respectively by the

West Bengal government The Government of West Bengal also known as the West Bengal Government, is the subnational government of the Indian state of West Bengal , created by the National Constitution as the state's legislative, executive and judicial authority. The ...

Selected bibliography

* Raj Felix (2022). Tides – Story Bank, St. Xavier’s University Kolkata Alumni Association, Kolkata. ISBN 978-93-95202-01-5. * Raj Felix (2020). Waves – Story Bank, St. Xavier’s University Kolkata Alumni Association, Kolkata. . * Raj John Felix, Roy Samrat, Hati Koushik (2016). Indian Economy: A Visionary Perspective, New Delhi, Regal Publications, . * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raj, John 1954 births Living people Rabindra Bharati University alumni 20th-century Indian Jesuits Indian economists Indian male writers Indian philanthropists 21st-century Indian Jesuits