Rahul Peter Das, an alumnus of St. Lawrence High School, Kolkata, is a former professor of South Asian studies (Südasienkunde) at the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, where he was also dean of studies of the Faculty of Philosophy I. He retired in October 2020. Das was president of the German Association for Asian Studies from 2016 to 2019, and received the Hind Rattan Award in 2006, the Nav Rattan Award in 2009.