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Area IV-research

Area IV-research

Area IV establishes its research work and teaching courses around the biological components and their processes in nature. The research lens has two major foci, one addressed at the cellular and molecular level while the other at the ecosystem and landscape level. The former constitutes the environmental biology research where effect of toxic components (heavy metals, pathogens, pollutants, radiation, carcinogens) on cells and their cellular responseand remediation potential by natural therapeutics is studied. While the latter encompasses the ecological research, involving study of biotic components (microbiota, flora, fauna) and their interaction with their surroundings at organism, population, community, ecosystem and landscape levels.

Area IV strictly abides by the principles of sustainable development and conservation in its research actions. Host-pathogen interactions, multi-drug resistant pathogenscellular level experiments, plant-microbe interactions, environmental omics, applications of nanotechnology, biochemistry, biotechnology, radiation and cancer biology, development of metadata; an amalgamation of all these is helping us to approach better. Therefore, the think tank also discourses their work in areas like socio-economic and policy aspect of ecosystems (forest, agriculture and built environment), biofertilizers, bioremediation and restoration processes and biodiversity conservation and management strategies.

The faculties pursue and promote research in such a way that it is in sync with the contemporary global scenarios of climate change, sustainable development goals, LiFEStyle for Environment (LIFE mission) among others. Collaborating young minds, experienced scientists, governmental and non-governmental agencies help in transcending research communication from local and regional domains to national and global platforms.

 

Area IV Faculty

Prof. Kasturi Mukhopadhyay   (Convener)

Prof. Satish Chandra Garkoti

Prof. Pawan Kumar Joshi

Prof. Paulraj Rajamani

Prof. Usha Mina

Dr. Ilora Ghosh

Dr. Meenakshi Dua

Dr. Ramovatar Meena

 

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.