Since the inception of the erstwhile Indian School of International Studies (SIS), the Centre for South, Central, Southeast Asia and Southwest Pacific Studies has been quite active in its research and teaching on aspects of various divisions of the South Asia including SAARC studies, Central Asia including Mongolia, Afghanistan, "Xinjiang and Tibet" and Southeast Asia & Southwest Pacific Studies.

All the academic activities including teaching and research have been designed to objectively study and analyse history, politics, societies, economics and contemporary developments in different regions/countries covered under the Centre's purview of study and research.Different Divisions of the Centre have been able to produce a large number of M.Phils and Ph. Dscovering almost all spheres of life in different countries of this vast region.The Centre has been offering courses both at M.A. level and M.Phil levels and has developed itself into a Centre of academic excellence in the fields of South Asian, Central Asian, Central Asian and South East Asian and South-West Pacific Studies.

The Centre has very steadily expanded its programme of studies, area of research and scope of policy studies over the last decade or so.The Centre has come under sharp focus from the perspectives of academic pursuits, national focus and governmental priorities.Its programme of studies has attracted bright students having diverse background from various parts of India and also from other countries.

Faculty members and the students have extensively written in both national and international journals and participated in seminars.Faculty members have also been in various governmental bodies and delegations and have been consulted by both the governmental and private organisations.Eminent academics and area specialists such as Prof. Bimal Prasad, Prof. Kalim Bahadur, late Prof. I.S. Baral and late Prof. Ram Rahul have been associated with this Centre in the past.The Centre has had the unique distinction of having contributed three Ambassadors: Prof. Bimal Prasad to Nepal, Prof. S.D. Muni to Laos and late Prof. Parimal Kumar Das to Trinidad and Tobago during the past ten years or so.

The Division for South Asian Studies is the largest division in School, both in terms of faculty as well as students. The importance of the South Asian Division is self evident------by the fact that India itself lies in the region. The division is extremely proud of its former colleagues rather legends------- Prof. Bimla Prasad (the late) Prof. Mrs. Urmila Phadnis and Prof. Kalim Bahadur. The faculty also saw useful stints by Prof. Mohammad Ayoob and former foreign Secretary Prof. Muchkund Dubey. The Division also takes pride in the fact it has directly participated in the foreign policy making exercise. The most recent being Prof. S.D. Muni having served as Ambassador in Laos. Previously, Professor Bimal Prasad served as Ambasador to Nepal. Prof. Dubey, of course as a career diplomat before he came here had served as Ambassador in different countries.

The Division presently has five professors --Prof. I.N. Mukherjee, who is also the Dean of the School of International Studies, Prof. S.D.Muni, Prof. Nancy Jetly, Prof. Uma Singh and Prof. Mahendra P. Lama and two Associate Professors Dr. P. Sahadevan and Dr. Savita Pande. The Division offers courses in the Political Development, Economy and Foreign Policy of individual countries as well as on the Regional Economic Development and Cooperation and Regional and International Security. The Division is endowed with faculty members who are known specialists in their areas having publications known globally.

The division periodically holds meetings, seminars and symposiums with regional and international experts. There is a research library named after the late Prof. Urmial Phadnis attached to the division.

1. Prof. P. Sahadevan, Chairperson

2. Prof. I. N. Mukherji

3. Prof. Uma Singh

4. Prof. Mahendra P. Lama

5. Prof. Partha S. Ghosh

6. Dr. Savita Pande

7. Dr. Sanjay Bhardwaj



Teaching Programmes

The Division has both M.Phil. Programme and Ph.D. Programmes. Candidates are admitted for Direct Ph.D. Programmes as well subject to University terms and conditions. From time to time the Division also has had Post Doctoral Fellows. The Division offers courses that deal with the region as an entity explaining the commonalties as well asexclusivities of the region in terms of issues afflicting the region as well as specific area studies. The division also has specific courses on regional security, cooperation and international politics affecting the region.

The Courses offered for the M.Phil. Programme include:

1. SA607India’s Foreign Policy

2. SA608History of Modern Nepal

3. SA609 Political Development of Pakistan

4. SA610Pakistan’s Foreign Policy

5. SA615Political Economy of Bangladesh

6. SA604South Asia in International Politics

7. SA605Political Development of Nepal

8. SA626Political Development and Foreign Policy of Sri Lanka

9. SA616Bangladesh: Political Development and Foreign Policy

10. SA617Research Methodology

11. SA618Foreign Policy of Nepal

12. SA620Regional Security in South Asia

The Courses offered for the M.A. Programme include:

1. IS506 NPolitical Economy of South Asia

2. IS520 NGovernment and Politics in South Asia

3. IS562 NIndia, Pakistan and Great Powers

Student Profile

The Division has ------- students in the M.Phil Programme and ----in the Ph.D. Programme. Admissions are given on the usual University rules of written exams and interviews. In the Academic Year 2001-2002, 22 students were admitted.

The Students of the division are represented in a cross section of professions. Having received basic training in political, economic and foreign policy objectives, students excel in various professions adopted by them. Some of them find places in the bureaucracy, others go to research institutions or media.

The Central Asian Studies Division of the Centre for South, Central and South East Asian and South-West Pacific Studies, School of International Studies is as old as the Indian School of International Studiesitself. This Division has been engaged in research and teaching on the whole of Central Asia, that is former Soviet Central Asian Republics of Tadjikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan; Tibet and Xinjiang regions of China; Mongolia and Afghanistan as well as the Himalayan studies.

All the academic activities including teaching and research have been designed to objectively study and analyse history, politics, societies, economies and contemporary developments in Central Asia and relate them to Indian experience and policy. The Central Asian Studies Programme of this Centre has been recently approved by the University Grants Commission for development under its Area Studies Programme.
 

Faculty lists

Since 1988, over 50 M.Phil and 20 Ph.D. research scholars have been awarded their degrees. 8 M.Phils and 15 Ph.Ds are in progress.Besides over 40 students opt for the M.A. course on the Himalayas offered by the Division, each year. This reflectsincreasing interest amongst the studentsin the research programmes offered by this Division. The Division offers admission to amaximum of 6 students for its M.Phil programme each year.There are only two faculty positions, which are presently held by Prof. K. Warikoo and Prof. Dawa Norbu. Besides there is a visiting faculty from Mongolia under the UGC'sIndo-Mongolian Cultural Exchange Programme. Presently Dr. (Ms.)Enkhbayar Byanbanorovd from Mongolia is holding this position Prof. Devendra Kaushik has also joined the Divisionas UGC's Emeritus Fellow to work on his Project on Central Asia.

The Central Asian Studies Division is striving to develop itself into a Centre of academic excellence so far as the above mentioned areas are concerned. The Division offers the following courses:

(a)M.A. level: Society and Culture in the Himalayas

(b)M.Phil Level:

1. Great Power Interest in Central Asia. (19th Century)
   
   
2. Great Power Interest in Central Asia (20th Century)
   
   
3. Government and politics in Central Asia
   
   
4. Research Methodology
   
   
5. Politics and Government in Mongolia.
   
   
6. Modern Tibetan Language I and II
   
   
7. Russian/Pashtoo/Mongolian languages (taught through the School of Languages)
   

The Central Asian Studies Division has identified the following thrust areas for its research and teaching programme:

1. Strategic Dimensions and Geopolitics of Central Asia and Afghanistan
2. India’s relations with Central Asia and Afghanistan.
3. Ethnic and Religious factors in Central Asia and Afghanistan.
4. Conflict Resolution and Nation-building process in Central Asia and Afghanistan.
5. Social, Political and Economic Problems of transition in Central Asia.
6. Energy resources and oil politics in Central Asia
7. Ecology and sustainable development
8. Peace studies, society, culture and politics in the is and trans-Himalayan regions.

The Division has been organising several seminars on Central Asia.An international seminar on Central Asia: Ten Years of Independence was organised on 17-18 November 2001 in collaboration with the Maulana Azad Institute of Asian Studies, Kolkata. Several students from Central Asian Republics and Mongolia have persued their research in this Division.

The division of Southeast Asian and Southwest Pacific Studies focuses on all the ten ASEAN states and the sixteen member countries of the Pacific Islands Forum (formerly South Pacific Forum). The academic programs offered by the division are designed to provide students with substantial knowledge of Southeast Asia and Southwest Pacific Studies. Students at the division are encouraged to develop a wide range of specialties.

In addition to the course work, the Division organizes seminars, workshops and conferences with the active participation of the students. The Division has shown keen interest in important emerging areas of research and offers M.A, M.Phil and Ph.D programmes of study. There are four faculty positions which are at present occupied by the following teachers.

1.Prof. Ganganath Jha

2.Dr. Manmohini Kaul

3.Dr. Shankari Sundararaman

4.Dr. Amba Pande

M.Phil. Courses offered

a) Politics of Modern Southeast Asia Part-I (Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia Laos, and Vietnam)

b) Politics of Modern Southeast Asia Part-II (Indonesia, Malaysia Brunei, Singapore and the Philippines):  Dr. Man Mohini Kaul

c) Colonialism, nationalism and neo colonialism in SoutheastAsia:  Dr Man Mohini Kaul

d) Regional Security in Southeast Asia Course Teacher:  Prof. Baladas Ghoshal

e) History of Southeast Asia Course teacher:  Dr. Amba Pande

f) Thai Language Course teacher:  Shri P. Mahaviro

M.A. Courses offered

(i) South West Pacific Foreign Relations Course Teacher:  Dr. Man MohiniKaul

(ii) Southeast Asian Foreign Relations Course Teacher:  Dr. Ganganath Jha

(iii) Society & Politics in South-West Pacific Course Teacher:  Dr. Ganganath Jha

(iv) Govt & Politics in Southeast Asia, Course Teacher:  Dr. Man Mohini Kaul

Research Activities of the Division

Under the Southeast Asia and South-West Pacific Studies, Ph.D. scholars are able to pursue their research on both domestic and Foreign affairs including interdisciplinary studies. As an integral part of its research, the division organizes lectures by eminent people from India and abroad especially from Southeast Asia and Southwest Pacific.