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CSSS Academic Emphasis

CSSS Academic Emphasis

The research work and publications undertaken by the Centre reflect its continued engagement with emerging societal issues at local, national and global levels. The Centre has made efforts in evolving innovative courses and research programs to address some of these issues, but these efforts need to be strengthened further by augmenting academic resources of the Centre. Study and research in other areas listed below need further consolidation:

  • Sociological Theory;
  • Quantitative Methods in Social Research;
  • Social Demography;
  • Social Psychology;
  • Historical Anthropology;
  • Social Ecology;
  • Sociology of Globalization;
  • Media Studies;
  • Modern Indian Social Thought; and
  • Sociology of Science

In pursuance of its mandate, the faculty, students and research staffs of the Centre have, over the years, made valuable contributions in the following areas:

  • Sociology of Modernization and Development;
  • Sociology of Professions and Professionalization;
  • Sociology of Social Stratification;
  • Sociology of Social Movements and Social Mobilization;
  • Studies of Marginalized Groups, Minorities and Dalits;
  • Sociology of Tribes and Ethnicity;
  • Sociology of Education;
  • Sociology of Knowledge;
  • Sociology of Gender and Gender Relations;
  • Sociology of the Indian Diaspora;
  • Sociology of Religion; and
  • Culture Studies

A warm welcome to the modified and updated website of the Centre for East Asian Studies. The East Asian region has been at the forefront of several path-breaking changes since 1970s beginning with the redefining the development architecture with its State-led development model besides emerging as a major region in the global politics and a key hub of the sophisticated technologies. The Centre is one of the thirteen Centres of the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi that provides a holistic understanding of the region.

Initially, established as a Centre for Chinese and Japanese Studies, it subsequently grew to include Korean Studies as well. At present there are eight faculty members in the Centre. Several distinguished faculty who have now retired include the late Prof. Gargi Dutt, Prof. P.A.N. Murthy, Prof. G.P. Deshpande, Dr. Nranarayan Das, Prof. R.R. Krishnan and Prof. K.V. Kesavan. Besides, Dr. Madhu Bhalla served at the Centre in Chinese Studies Programme during 1994-2006. In addition, Ms. Kamlesh Jain and Dr. M. M. Kunju served the Centre as the Documentation Officers in Chinese and Japanese Studies respectively.

The academic curriculum covers both modern and contemporary facets of East Asia as each scholar specializes in an area of his/her interest in the region. The integrated course involves two semesters of classes at the M. Phil programme and a dissertation for the M. Phil and a thesis for Ph. D programme respectively. The central objective is to impart an interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of history, foreign policy, government and politics, society and culture and political economy of the respective areas. Students can explore new and emerging themes such as East Asian regionalism, the evolving East Asian Community, the rise of China, resurgence of Japan and the prospects for reunification of the Korean peninsula. Additionally, the Centre lays great emphasis on the building of language skills. The background of scholars includes mostly from the social science disciplines; History, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, International Relations and language.

Several students of the centre have been recipients of prestigious research fellowships awarded by Japan Foundation, Mombusho (Ministry of Education, Government of Japan), Saburo Okita Memorial Fellowship, Nippon Foundation, Korea Foundation, Nehru Memorial Fellowship, and Fellowship from the Chinese and Taiwanese Governments. Besides, students from Japan receive fellowship from the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.