International Seminar on “Social Science Research in India: Issues and Challenges”
October 29-30
The Centre of Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Hyderabad, is organizing a two-day international seminar with the core objective of strengthening the national social science research ecosystem by fostering rigorous collaborations, promoting methodological innovations, and conducting a critical self-assessment of the institutional landscape. The seminar is intended to serve as a crucial platform for researchers and policymakers to collaboratively diagnose systemic constraints and propose actionable strategies to enhance the impact, quality, and relevance of social science inquiry across India.
The two-day event is organized as part of an international research project titled “Doing Research Assessment”, commissioned by the Global Development Network (GDN) and the ICSSR (Indian Council of Social Science Research). CESS is partnering with the Council for Social Development and BITS Pilani Hyderabad under the project. The seminar serves as a platform for dialogue among scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and research administrators in India to exchange experiences, examine the impediments, and chart actionable pointers for strengthening the social science research ecosystem in India. The deliberations of the conference will focus on critical themes of social science research such as the institutional interventions for enhancing the quality and impact of social science research, priority areas for research, strengthening academic competencies, funding architecture, and the impact of social science research on policy formulation and implementation in India. Over 30 presentations will be made at the seminar by eminent scholars and administrators from all social science disciplines and institutions on the following eight themes:
- Changing landscape of social sciences in India
- Social sciences as pathways: Youth aspirations and challenges
- Diversity and inclusion in social sciences
- Financing social science education and research
- Regional languages as sites of knowledge in social sciences
- Quality in social science research: Standards, relevance, and ethics
- Social science research and policy: Strengthening the interface
- Indigenous knowledge and social sciences