Dr Thea Gomelauri

About

Dr Thea Gomelauri is a biblical scholar, codicologist, public historian, and multi-award-winning Director of the Oxford Interfaith Forum. Her research interests include biblical exegesis, comparative study of religions, reception history of the Bible, biblical manuscripts, and neglected literary and cultural treasures of marginal communities.

Her current research focuses on Georgian Jewry — the world’s oldest living Jewish diaspora — and its forgotten contribution to the Jewish scribal traditions.

Dr Gomelauri has vast experience in different international and intercultural contexts. She received multiple research and teaching grants, including the Robert S. McNamara Fellowship at the World Bank Institute, the International OSI Policy Fellowship at the Open Society Institute, the Curriculum Development Fellowship at Central European University, and the European Commission Tempus Program. Her recent international awards include the Interfaith Leadership in Multifaith World Grant from Interfaith America (2021-22), the 2023 HM King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein Prize for the Best Event for United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week, and the 2024 Guru Nanak Prize by Hofstra University.

At different times, she has worked on research and consultancy assignments with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in troubled and war-torn regions.