The Department of English, one of the oldest departments of the University was founded in 1955 with English as an essential subject of study for the undergraduate courses.

With the legendary scholar K. K. Handiqui (1898-1982) at the helm of affairs as Vice-chancellor of the University, some of the finest educationists of India like Dr. Banikanta Kakti of Gauhati University and Sri Harendra Kumar Choudhury of Cotton College were the members of the Committee of Courses and Studies that framed the undergraduate courses for English thereby giving it a direction in keeping with the modern times. 

Professor S.C. Sengupta, eminent Shakespeare scholar and author of Shakespeare's History Plays contributed to the development of an appropriate curriculum. 

Dr Hilton Francis and Dr Sudhangsu Charan Bhattacharyya served as part-time teachers of the department at the initial stage. Some of the most distinguished teachers who worked in the Department included Dr Amaresh Dutta, celebrated Shakespeare scholar and poet, who joined as a Reader in 1960, Sri Motnahalli Surappa Prabhakar (1962), Sri Brajdeo Singh (1962), Sri G. Rajaram Rao (1963), Sri Hirendranath Dutta (1964), Sri Bhola Banerjee (1965), Sri Dilip Kumar Barua (Reader, 1966), Sri Bhaben Barua (Lecturer, 1968) and Dr Hiren Gohain (1970). The teachers who joined the department in the next few decades include Dr G.P.Sarma, Ms. Gayatri Bhattacharyya, Sri Ranjit Kumar Dev Goswami, Dr Anita Baruah Sarmah and Dr Aparna Bhattacharyya.  Professor Bhaben Barua received the Sahitya Akademi award in 1979 for his collection of poems Sonali Jahaj and Dr Hiren Gohain in 1989 for his monograph Asamiya Jatiya Jibanat Mahapurusia Parampara.

The present composition of the Department of English Gauhati University is as follows – Professor Anjali Daimari (Head), Professor Nandana Dutta, Professor Pradipta Borgohain, Professor Asha Kuthari Chaudhuri, Professor Bibhash Choudhury, Professor Lalan Kishore Singh, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Nath, Dr. Manashi Bora, Dr. Farddina Hussain, Dr. Dolikajyoti Sharma, Dr. Anurag Bhattacharyya, Sri. Jyotishman Kalita and Ms. AniheetaLangthasa.

The department offers degrees at BA, MA and PhD levels. The Department started a UG course in English from the academic session 2023-2024 under the NEP implementation programme of the University. The Department has been organizing the Anita Baruah Sarmah Memorial Lecture since 2006 after the untimely demise of Dr Anita Baruah Sarmah who taught in the Department of English, Gauhati University. In 2022 the Department instituted the Homen Borgohain Memorial Lecture.

With regard to the academic activities like seminars, conferences, lectures, etc. the department continues to maintain its high standards. 

The two departmental journals – English Forum: Journal of the Department of English, Gauhati University (ISSN 2279-0446) and Margins (ISSN 2250-0731) have been publishing its volumes regularly and both have been included in the UGC-CARE List. The current issues of the journals are uploaded in the UGC-CARE site as well as in the University journal website.

Vision:

The English Department seeks to expand the parameters of English Studies by fostering a meaningful dialogue between various disciplines and by giving an impetus to the concept of Cultural Studies without totally breaking away from the canon or traditional ways of teaching/reading literature. Including translations of well-known works originally written in regional languages enhances commitment to literatures produced by national and regional writers within a complex postcolonial society. Regular seminars and talks with non-literary components that expand our vision and redefine our approaches to our subjects truly inter-disciplinary in the context of a changing world will continue to boost the range of our vision.

Mission:

The mission of the department is to train students in the study of literature by acquainting them with established classics as well as significant new works in the English language, and by familiarizing them with various critical tools and precepts from early times to the present age. Class-room lectures are supplemented by tutorials catering to specific needs of students and various extra-curricular activities with an academic base such as seminars, film shows debates, and group and panel discussions organised by the English Association of the Department. This is done in order to foster a composite, holistic, multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach towards the creation of future scholars and teachers.