What is the Seminar about?
This day-long seminar will showcase undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral research in the social sciences in India. It will engage with wide-ranging contemporary topics in the social sciences and provide a forum for students from various institutions to engage in exchange of academic knowledge. Last year, research topics ranged from unwanted pursuit behaviour to the vulnerability of the Indian labour force to automation, among others.
Paper submissions are now closed. Please see below for our keynote speakers this year. The full schedule of speakers is available here.
Objectives of the Seminar
Encouraging high-quality research as an important part of the undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral curricula in India.
Providing an opportunity for students from various disciplines within the social sciences to present their research.
Engaging with topics of contemporary relevance and rigorous methods employed in social sciences research.
Establishing an academic forum for students of the social sciences to receive a critical review of their work.
Keynote Address
Dr. Rupa Kalahasthi | Assistant Professor, Rochester Institute of Technology
Dr. Rupa Kalahasthi is an Assistant Professor with RIT in New York State. She was previously a Global Health Postdoctoral Associate at RIT, working to enhance evidence-based mental health services among the underserved in India and establish similar services that are available to the vulnerable communities in the US. She also provides supervision for pre-doctoral interns at RIT and assists with the functioning of their newly established clinic. Her current project in Mumbai involves identifying the mental health needs of the homeless population in India, cultural differences in these mental health needs between the US and India, and establishing in-person and telehealth care in the homeless shelters. This project has also enabled her to set up an exchange program between RIT and ST. Xavier's College, where Master's level students are able to provide telehealth services, pursue research projects, and gain clinical and research supervision from licensed clinical psychologists at RIT. The future of this project involves using digital tools and adapt technology for mental health services for the vulnerable communities.
Dr. Kalahasthi will be speaking on the challenges and rewards of working with vulnerable communities: Ethical and multicultural considerations.
Dr. Sreejata Paul | Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (Bombay)
Sreejata Paul is a postdoctoral fellow at IIT-Bombay. She holds Bachelor’s, Master’s, MPhil, and PhD degrees in literature. Her research focuses on Islam in South Asia from a gendered perspective. She is also a queer chorister singing with Rainbow Voices Mumbai.
Dr. Paul will be speaking on positioning yourself in academia and professional associations and her experiences as a South Asianist in Australia.
Date and Time
4th December, 2021 (Sat 9AM to 2PM)
Venue
Zoom Meeting