About

Nagarjuna G. is the principal investigator of the Gnowledge Lab. He is a Former Professor at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), TIFR, Mumbai, and is currently a Visiting Faculty at IISER Pune.

His work sits at the intersection of cognitive science, science education, semantic computing, and the free software / knowledge commons movement. He founded the Gnowledge Lab as a space for designing and developing discourse-based, collaborative, constructionist learning environments — what the lab calls studios — and for building the open-source infrastructure that supports them. The unusual spelling gnowledge is an homage to the GNU project, reflecting the lab’s commitment to free software and openly licensed knowledge.

Over two decades, his research has explored the biological and cognitive roots of knowledge, the structure and growth of concepts, and how technology can make learning visible and participatory. His longest-running technical project, GNOWSYS, is a graph-based framework for semantic computing that powers several of the lab’s platforms.

Research interests

• Constructionist and connectionist models of STEM education
• Semantic computing and graph-based knowledge representation (GNOWSYS / gstudio)
• Concept mapping methodology and the structure of scientific knowledge
• Biological and cognitive roots of knowledge; perception, conception, and conscious action
• Knowledge networks as complex systems
• Free software, copyleft, and the politics of knowledge commons
• Writing systems and phonetic alphabets (naYana)

Projects

Projects led, co-led, or with significant authorship:

• GNOWSYS / gstudio — graph database and framework for semantic computing; the lab’s flagship platform (conceived and authored)
• naYana — a phonetic alphabet and OTF font (co-creator with Vickram Crishna; font designed by Nagarjuna G.)
• Concept Mapping research — long-running collaboration with Meena Kharatmal on refined concept maps and methodologies for representing scientific knowledge
• DOER: Distributed Decentralized Disk of OER — distributed offline-first OER repository
• CUBE: Collaboratively Understanding Biology Education — undergraduate research program using simple model systems
• MakerSpace — design, making and tinkering studios for STEM education
• chatShaala — conversational space supporting investigative and making projects
• Living Academy — a life-long-kindergarten studio for home-schooling parents and children
• STEM Games platform and metaStudio.org — online community of practice
• NROER and CLIx — national-scale OER and ICT-in-education initiatives
• Gnowledge Manifesto — the lab’s social and political commitments

For ongoing research threads — including biological roots of knowledge, social cognition, shared memory space, and knowledge networks as complex systems — see the Research Projects page.

Software

Code repositories maintained by Nagarjuna G.:

• hedgedoc-nb — “Build knowledge graphs in markdown.” A TypeScript fork of HedgeDoc extending its real-time collaborative markdown editor with knowledge-graph notebook features.

Publications

Selected work spans concept mapping (2004–2016), GNOWSYS and semantic computing (2005–2014), cognitive ontogeny and the biological roots of knowledge (2005–2014), free-software and education policy (2008–2018), and recent collaborations on classroom learning and shared-screen environments (2017–2023). The full lab list is on the publications page.

• Nagarjuna G. (2026). From Truth to Trust: Negotiating Objectivity through Calibrated Instruments, Media, and Institutions. PhilSci-Archive preprint, University of Pittsburgh (April 2026).
• Rafikh Shaikh, Nagarjuna G. & Ayush Gupta (2023). Investigating the role of shared screen in a computer-supported classroom in learning. Education and Information Technologies. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal, Nagarjuna G. & M. C. Arunan (2021). Microorganisms at our Doorstep — Vigyan Pratibha Learning Unit. In Choksi, B., Date, G., Mani, R. & Subramaniam, K. (EDs.), Exploring Science and Mathematics with Vigyan Pratibha Learning Units. Class 8 Teacher Version, Mumbai: HBCSE. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal, Nagarjuna G. & Kiran Yadav (2020). Undergraduates in Lockdown: Sustaining Research Projects with CUBE Home Labs and chatShaala. IndiaBioscience. Bangalore. 23 October 2020. [PDF]
• Rafikh Shaikh, Harita Raval, Harshit Agrawal & Nagarjuna G. (2020). Impact of computer-mediated sharing on classroom activities. The 14th International Congress on Mathematical Education Shanghai. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2020). Getting Down to the Micron. Teacher Plus. Telangana: Azim Premji University, July 2020. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal, Nagarjuna G. & M. C. Arunan (2019). Observing Microorganisms at our Doorstep -- A Learning Unit. Vigyan Pratibha Project, Mumbai: HBCSE. [PDF]
• Rafikh Shaikh, Amit Dhakulkar & Nagarjuna G. (2018). Zone of Proximal Development in the Era of Connected Computers. S. Ladage and S. Narvekar (Eds.), Proceedings of epiSTEME7: Seventh International Conference to Review Research on Science, TEchnology and Mathematics Education, HBCSE (pp. 214-221). India: CinnamonTeal. [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G. (2018). The STEM Games. ICTS Newsletter. [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G. (2018). Making as a Medium of Truth: A Constructionist View of STEM. Proceedings of the Conference on Integrating Science with Society, Jadavpur University, Kolkata. [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G. (2018). Distributing Justice in a Digital Society. Breakthrough: A Journal for Science and Society. [PDF]
• Rafikh Shaikh, Harshit Agrawal, Nagarjuna G. & Mrunal Nachankar (2017). Instant Sharing Makes Task More Engaging in Computer Aided Classroom. Proceedings of CSCL, pp. 609-612. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2016). Using Semantic Reference Set of Linking Words for Concept Mapping in Biology. Innovating with concept mapping. Communications in computer and information science series (Vol. 635, pp. 315-329). Springer International Publisher. [PDF]
• Amit Dhakulkar, Nagarjuna G. & Samir Dhurde (2015). Measuring the mustard seed: an exercise in indirect measurement and mathematical modelling. School Science Review. [PDF]
• Rajiv Nair, Nagarjuna G. & Arnab K. Ray (2014). Finite-size effects in the dependency networks of free and open-source software. Complex Systems, Vol. 23. [PDF]
• Rafikh Shaikh, Nagarjuna G. & Sanjay Chandrasekharan (2013). Socialising Mathematics: Collaborative, Constructive and Distributed learning of arithmetic using a chat application. In Nagarjuna G., Arvind Jamakhandi, and Ebie M. Sam (Eds.) Procceedings of epiSTEME-5, pp.321-327. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2013). Representing Change Using Concept Maps. Proceedings of epiSTEME 5, International Conference to Review Research on Science, TEchnology and Mathematics Education. [PDF]
• Amit Dhakulkar, Samir Dhurde & Nagarjuna G. (2013). Measuring the Mustard Seed: First Exercise in Modelling the Real World. Proceedings of epiSTEME 5, International Conference to Review Research on Science, TEchnology and Mathematics Education. [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G., Arvind Jamakhandi & Ebie M. Sam (2013). International Conference to Review Research on Science, TEchnology and Mathematics Education. . [PDF]
• Heather D. Pfeiffer, Dmitry I. Ignatov, Jonas Poelmans & Nagarjuna G. (2013). Conceptual Structures for STEM Research and Education. 20th International Conference on Conceptual Structures. [PDF]
• Shraddha Ghumre, Nagarjuna G. & M. C. Arunan (2013). Collaborative Undergraduate Biology Research: Re-Structuring Undergraduate Biology Education in India. Proceedings of epiSTEME 5, International Conference to Review Research on Science, TEchnology and Mathematics Education. [PDF]
• Rajiv Nair, Nagarjuna G. & Arnab K. Ray (2012). Features of complex networks in a free-software operating system. International Conference on Recent Trends in Physics. [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G. & Meena Kharatmal (2011). Proposal for developing a primer for constructing and analyzing conceptual structures. Proceedings of the 19th international conference on Conceptual structures for discovering knowledge. [PDF]
• Amit Dhakulkar & Nagarjuna G. (2011). An analysis of graphs in school textbooks. Proceedings of epiSTEME 4 International Conference to Review Research on Science, Technology and Mathematics Education, Mumbai, pp. 127–131. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2011). An Analysis of Growth of Knowledge based on Concepts and Predicates. In S. Chunawala and M. Kharatmal (Eds.) Proceedings of epiSTEME 4 International Conference to Review Research on Science, Technology and Mathematics Education. [PDF]
• Rajiv Nair, Nagarjuna G. & Arnab K. Ray (2010). Semantic network in a free-software computer operating system. Journal of Information Technology. [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G., Meena Kharatmal & Rajiv Nair (2010). Building a Dependency Network for Teaching-Learning of Conceptual Structures. In conjunction with ICCS-2010 18th International Conference on Conceptual Structures. [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G. (2009). Tracing the Biological Roots of Knowledge. in Life and Organicism, Rangaswamy. N. S., Ed. Centre for Studies in Civilizations. [PDF]
• Rajiv Nair, Nagarjuna G. & Arnab K. Ray (2009). Semantic structure and finite-size saturation in scale-free dependency networks of free software. Pre-print https://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4904v3. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2009). SELF Platform: A Teacher - Centric Collaborative Authoring System. Journal of Applied Collaborative Systems. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2009). Refined Concept Maps for Science Education: A Feasibility Study. Proceedings of epiSTEME 3, International Conference to Review Research on Science, TEchnology and Mathematics Education. [PDF]
• Divya Sinha, Alpesh Gajbe, Rajiv Nair, Ganesh Gajre & Nagarjuna G. (2009). GNOWSYS-mode: An Emacs based Text Editor for Semantic and Structured Document Editing. In Proceedings of Workshop on Collaborative Construction, Management and Linking of Structured Knowledge (CK2009). [PDF]
• Divya Sinha, Alpesh Gajbe, Rajiv Nair, Ganesh Gajre & Nagarjuna G. (2009). GNOWSYS-mode in Emacs for collaborative construction of knowledge networks in plain text. in 8th International Semantic Web Conference (ISWC2009). [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G. (2009). Copyleft Society. https://Gnowgi.org. [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G. (2009). Common Roots of Perception, Conception and Conscious Action. In Procceedings of International Conference on Language, Mind and Social Construction, IIT Mumbai, p.83-104. [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G. (2009). Collaborative Creation of Teaching-Learning Sequences and an Atlas of Knowledge. Mathematics Teaching-Research Journal. [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G. (2008). SELF Platform Development: localised and tested system. . [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2008). Exploring Roots of Rigor: A Proposal of a Methodology for Analyzing the Conceptual Change from a Novice to an Expert. Concept Mapping: Connecting Educators Proc. of the Third Int. Conference on Concept Mapping. [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G. (2008). Consultation on 'National Policy on ICTs in School Education. . [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G. (2007). Why Ecma OOXML cannot be regarded as a free/open document standard?. Note submitted to the Working Committee, Board of Indian Standards on WordprocessingXML, a component of OOXML. [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G. (2006). Layers in the Fabric of Mind: A Critical Review of Cognitive Ontogeny. In Research Trends in Science, Technology and Mathematics Education,J. Ramadas and S. Chunawala, Eds. Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education,TIFR. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2006). An Alternative Proposal for Eliciting and Assessing Students’Knowledge Structure. Episteme 2: Second International Conference on Review of Science, Technology and Mathematics education. [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G. (2005). Muscularity of Mind: Towards an Explanation of the Transition from Unconscious to Conscious. in Annual Conference of European Society for Philosophy and Psychology (ESPS), in Lund, Sweden, http://cogprints.Org/4352. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal, Sandhya R & Nagarjuna G. (2005). Information and Knowledge Management Using GNOWSYS. Conference Proceedings. Recent Advances in Information Technology. [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G. (2005). GNOWSYS: A System for Semantic Computing. Homi Bhabha centre for Science Education, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2004). Understanding Science Through Knowledge Organizers: An Introduction. In Episteme-1: An International Conference to review Research on Science, Technology and Mathematics Education, pp. 13–17. [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G. (1994). The Role of Inversion in Science. Department of Humanities, IIT Kanpur. [PDF]

Elsewhere on the web

• IISER Pune (guest faculty): iiserpune.ac.in/…/g-nagarjuna
• HBCSE (former-members): hbcse.tifr.res.in/people/former-members/nagarjuna-g
• ORCID: 0000-0001-6773-8454
• GitHub: @gnowgi
• LinkedIn: nagarjunag
• X (Twitter): @gnowgi
• Bluesky: @gnowgi
• metaStudio: metastudio.org/u/gn
• Substack: gnowgi.substack.com
• Blog: gnowgi.wordpress.com

Contact

• nagarjun [at] gnowledge.org
• nagarjun [at] gnowgi.org

To collaborate with the lab community, the recommended channel is metaStudio.org.