The joy of ‘discovering’ something new daily is a pleasure in itself. The barrage of ideas each class greeted me with can never be appreciated well enough. This experience was far different from the dread of attending classes I had at my other academic institutions. From the classrooms to fortnightly meetings, the individual attention has helped me iron some of the flaws in my research work. The classroom discussions also helped me rediscover the passion to read and write things outside the law. It is said that to give shape to a piece of stone is simple. But to add specific details to the stone, so that it resembles a sculpture requires a sculptor.

It is my belief that in the short span of one year, the Professors at JGU have managed to turn the stone into something definitive and gave me a solid foundation for my professional career.

In 2020 I began a new chapter at JGU, this time as a faculty member. I teach with the aim of imparting the methods of wit and patience that I was fortunate to learn from my teachers and hope to encourage students to reach scale new heights and find the best versions of themselves.“

Dr. Sahni is the second person from India to be elected as the Vice President of WSV. As the new Vice President, Dr. Sahni will serve a two-year tenure starting June 2022. WSV is a non-governmental organization focusing on research in victimology with members from areas such as academia, policy making, and governance. It holds special consultative status with the United Nations. Earlier, Dr. Sahni was elected as an executive member of WSV for a period of five years. Both the positions will run concurrently.

“I am elated for being elected to such a prestigious office. I will continue to promote victimology, not just nationally but internationally through various events, courses and projects in the pipeline for future endeavours,” shares Dr. Sahni, who is also Director at Centre for Victimology and Psychological Studies (CVPS) in 91̽��.

“I am confident that my candidature will help in advancing research in the field and positively contribute to the objectives of WSV,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention that Dr Sahni is contributing to international victim assistance programmes through his membership in the UN Liaison Committee with WSV. He has also been involved in promoting victimology research through his role as editor-in-chief of the journal “Global Advances of Victimology & Psychological Studies”.

Prof. Sahni is the member of the JGU Governing Body and also acts as an Advisor to the Vice Chancellor. Earlier this year in February 2022, Prof. Sahni was also appointed as ‘Professor of Eminence’ for a period of five years by the Guru Nanak Dev University.

Dr. Sahni is a distinguished scholar in the field of Psychology and his research interests span in the areas of Criminal Psychology, Cognitive and Neuropsychology, Competency Mapping, Organizational Development, and Leadership. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Organizational Behaviour and possesses an extensive and rich experience of 34+ years in Academia, Industry and the Governmental Sector.

As a Professor at JGU, Dr. Sahni has been teaching courses such as Criminal Psychology, Consumer Psychology, Competency Mapping, Organizational Behaviour, Organization Development & Management of Change, Business Communication and Etiquette, Leadership, Compensation & Benefits and Management Consulting Fundamentals to students across all schools of the university. He has taught in various universities overseas as a Visiting Faculty member, namely, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, and Nanjing University, Nanjing in China amongst others. Dr. Sahni is also a certified Edward de Bono Six Thinking Hats Trainer. He has trained 1.71+ lakh school principals and teachers, senior Government officials, industry professionals, besides many more in over 50 countries on topics such as competency mapping, business communication, decision making at workplace, stress management, performance enhancement, emotional intelligence, best teaching practices, inspiring leadership etc.

He has published more than 40 research articles in International and National indexed Journals, and about 25 book chapters. With 19 Books to his credit, some of the recent ones are; Criminal Psychology and the Criminal Justice System in India and Beyond (Springer Nature), Internet Infidelity: An Interdisciplinary Insight in a Global Context (Springer Nature), Piracy in the Digital Era: Psychosocial, Criminological and Cultural Factors (Springer Nature), The Death Penalty: Perspectives from India & Beyond (Springer Nature), Maximizing Human Potential Through Behavioural Competencies: 100 Core Competencies (Bloomsbury), Strategic Compensation Management & Design (Bloomsbury), and Conflict: The Police and The People (Lexis Nexis).

At JGU, Prof. Sahni also plays an active role at the Jindal School of Psychology & Counselling – India’s First Transdisciplinary Psychology School which offers two interdisciplinary degree programmes: B.A. (Hons.) Psychology and M.A./M.Sc. in Applied. The post graduate programme is jointly provided by the Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences (JIBS) and the Jindal School of Psychology & Counselling (JSPC) and uses the expertise and experience of both.

Dr. Sahni is one of the few Indian psychologists to have dispensed his immense knowledge towards the development of society and nation with his remarkable vision. Through his astute leadership, Dr. Sahni has been able to touch the lives of so many people in the education sector across the country and even abroad.

Know more about him and his work here:

He holds a Doctorate (Ph.D.) and a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Political Science and International Relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, USA and a Master of Science (MSc.) degree in History of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.  

He was a Radhakrishnan British Chevening Scholar at the University of Oxford, UK, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Modern History. He also has a Bachelor of Arts Honours from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi. 

Professor Chaulia’s areas of specialisation include diplomacy, foreign policy, comparative politics, international political economy, international organisations, armed conflict, humanitarian practices, and contemporary world history. He teaches courses related to these subjects and has over nine hundred and ten publications in these domains. 

His writings have appeared in journals in the USA, UK, Australia, Canada and India, some of which are International Affairs; Seton Hall Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations; Journal of Refugee Studies, Journal of Humanitarian Assistance, International Politics, World Affairs, International Journal of Peace Studies, South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, Economic and Political Weekly, Contemporary South Asia Journal and India Quarterly.  

Prof. Chaulia is also a contributing Editor to the book PEOPLE WHO INFLUENCED THE WORLD OVER THE PAST100 YEARS (2005), published by Murray Books, Adelaide.  

He is the author of the book “International Organizations and Civilian Protection: Power, Ideas and Humanitarian Aid in Conflict Zones” (2011), published by I.B. Tauris, London, and a contributor of two chapters to the book “Handbook of India’s International Relations” (2011), published by Routledge, London. 

His book, “Politics of the Global Economic Crisis: Regulation, Responsibility and Radicalism,” was published in 2013 by Routledge, New York, London & New Delhi. His book, “Modi Doctrine: The Foreign Policy of India’s Prime Minister,” was published in 2016 by Bloomsbury, New York, Sydney, London & New Delhi. His book, “Trumped: Emerging Powers in a Post-American World,” was published in 2019 by Bloomsbury. His forthcoming book is “Crunch Time: Narendra Modi’s National Security Crises.” 

Professor Chaulia published a fortnightly ‘Foreign Pulse’ column in ‘The Asian Age’/’Deccan Chronicle’ and also writes columns in ‘The Times of India’ and ‘The Economic Times’. He was a long time op-ed columnist on international current affairs for the Washington D.C.-based ‘The Globalist’, Hong Kong-based ‘Asia Times’ and the New Delhi-based ‘Financial Express’. His op-eds have also appeared in leading newspapers, including ‘The Wall Street Journal’, ‘Japan Times’, ‘South China Morning Post’, ‘The Straits Times’, ‘Hindustan Times’, ‘The Hindu’, ‘The Statesman’ and ‘New Indian Express’. 

A regular commentator on international current issues on Lok Sabha TV, Rajya Sabha TV, DD News and Republic TV in India, Prof. Chaulia has worked as an international civilian peacekeeper for the Brussels-based NGO, Nonviolent Peace force, in the war zones of eastern Sri Lanka and southern Philippines for over three years. He was a Contributing Editor serving on the Board of the Kashmir News Network (KNN), a rights advocacy organisation for minority victims of ethnic cleansing in the Indian territory of Jammu & Kashmir. He is an advocate for freedom and democracy and has written extensively about the problems of repression and human suffering under authoritarian regimes. 

Professor Chaulia has also been interviewed on issues relating to the global economy, contemporary armed conflicts and world politics by Russia Today (Moscow), China Global Television Network (Beijing), South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (Johannesburg), Voice of America, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Al Jazeera, Associated Press, Agence-France Presse, ‘The New York Times’, ‘USA Today’ and ‘The Wall Street Journal’. He was a frequent contributor to the Singapore-based syndicated columnist service, ‘Opinion Asia’, and has been cited in the world media for his analytical articles on pressing current events.  

He believes that international studies in India require a quantum leap in terms of in-depth thematic and geographic understanding of world issues.  

“JSIA’s cutting-edge research and publications agenda and collaborations with international academic and policy institutions are meant to generate continuous scholarly output on hitherto neglected issue areas that comprise the fast expanding realm of global policy studies. India’s voice on global issues must be strengthened via concrete policy contributions to outstanding world problems. JSIA will be nucleus of this historic agenda,” says Professor Chaulia. 

Having joined in 1981, I did a variety of postings which were both important for India & challenging for me, personally.

Among these: being a lead negotiator for India first at the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs & Trade) and then the World Trade Organization in areas such as Intellectual Property Rights, Textiles & Dispute Settlement.

I also had a chance to deal substantively with India’s neighbours: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives & Myanmar. Finally, I was a francophone diplomat (absolutely fluent in French) which resulted in my being appointed as India’s Ambassador to France – a posting which is both prestigious & challenging in the Ministry of External Affairs.

The greatest thing about representing your country is the opportunity to make a huge difference – something that other career options may or may not confer.

One of the most important decisions that I made was to pursue a doctorate at the famous French “grande école” called Sciences Po in Paris which I successfully completed in 2012, 5 years prior to retirement. I was very keen to be an academic after retirement, partly but not wholly, because both my father & grandfather were Professors & I felt it was my calling to which I must return.

The journey of the last 3 years in JGU can only be described as unbelievable! The university leadership with the VC at the helm has been outstanding and this for me is crucial, because I was making the unusual journey from being a practitioner of diplomacy to being an academic in the same field! I needed academic freedom and a conducive atmosphere for my research & teaching, and this I got in full measure. To say I am happy teaching at Jindal School of International Affairs would be an understatement! I now consider myself an integral part of the Jindal family of academics.

Students have been a delight & the great thing about teaching is that I am still learning even at my age!

It would be immodest of me to claim that in a span of 3 years I have changed the lives of students. But I do believe I have had a positive impact on many students, not least because I bring a practitioner’s perspective & I do everything in my power to impart “critical thinking skills” in my students.

JGU has given me a second life after a long stint with the Government & I look forward to giving back something to my students in every single class on every single day!”

Prof. (Dr.) Ambassador Kumar has had an outstanding career in the Indian Foreign Service lasting 36 years which culminated in his being India’s Ambassador to France based in Paris. Under his watch, the Indo-French strategic partnership was strengthened and consolidated further in spheres such as defence, space, nuclear & solar energy, smart cities and investment. Earlier, Mohan Kumar was India’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain where he witnessed and dealt with a strategically complex region characterized by events such as the “Arab Spring”. 

Ambassador Kumar’s specialization includes: diplomatic practice & foreign policy, strategic partnerships with India’s neighbours, multilateral negotiations especially trade negotiations, climate change and globalization. 

His enormous expertise in the area of international trade made him a member of India’s delegation at the WTO Ministerial Conferences held in Marrakesh (1994), Seattle (1999) and Doha (2001).   It is noteworthy that Ambassador Kumar also serves as the Chairman of Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) since June 2018.

Ambassador Kumar’s book titled “Negotiation Dynamics of the WTO: An Insider’s Account” was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2018.

Prof Bill recalls, “Raj’s dream was to establish a law school in India that would be on par with Harvard and Oxford but with a mission to fully establish and uphold the rule of law in India”. Upon his visit to India, Prof. Bill was pleasantly surprised to see ‘the dream’ take shape.

Merely, a one flat construction site with a single concrete building. However, in his subsequent visit after six months, he was greeted by a fully functioning school sporting spacious classrooms, a library, faculty offices, alleys brimming with students and much more, on the same site. At the time, Prof. Raj gifted Prof. Henderson an inspirational poster. The message on this poster would become relevant in the years to come for Prof Henderson.

A decade down the line, in 2019, Professor Henderson, having exhausted his network, found himself lamenting the lack of support from peers to raise funds for the Institute for the Future of Law Practice at the Maurer School of Law, Indiana University Bloomington.

This is when he chanced upon the poster gifted by Prof. Raj, shelved, years ago. The heading read “Anyway” followed by lines penned by Kent Keith; so meaningful, so apposite, for Prof. Henderson.

“Do these things Anyway”, the line resonated with Prof.Henderson

He compared his struggles to Prof Raj’s as their vision found a resemblance to an extent, Only to understand that his struggles were fairly diminished, compared to Prof. Raj’s, and yet the visionary from India, had successfully translated his dream into reality.

Now more resolute, he understood that continued effort is what matters.  Bolstered by fresh vigor and humility, Prof Henderson continues his mission.

Prof. Arjya Majumdar started teaching at the Jindal Global Law School after a seven-year stint in corporate law. Today he is the Director of Academic Planning, Coordination and Interdisciplinary, as well as the Director of Admissions and Outreach at JGU. Once an “aspiring tram driver” now puts students in the driver’s seat of their careers. The trained mountaineer, now enables them to scale new heights of personal and professional growth.

Prof. Majumdar’s training with Himalayan Mountaineering Institute not only ignited his passion for the environment but taught him an important lesson that when you surmount challenges whether physical or otherwise, you gain in self-confidence. It’s an important takeaway that he seriously hopes to imbibe in his students too. He taught himself to play the guitar when he was 16. It’s probably something to do with him being “intellectually curious” as he describes himself. And with time, he started realizing his passion for varied subjects and areas.

He quotes scientist Ian Malcolm from Jurassic Park as he tries to highlight the importance of interdisciplinarity in higher education. The characters in Hollywood blockbuster were so caught up in finding out whether they could clone dinosaurs that they forgot to ask the question; whether they should. “Those are two different questions from two different perspectives. That’s why interdisciplinary is important. It’s important for the holistic growth of students and in giving them broader perspectives,” he says.

 His favorite superheroes are Ironman and Batman. The reasoning is simple, “All other superheroes in DC and Marvel have superpowers. These two are among them because of their intellect, grit and sheer determination.” What fantastic qualities to learn from a superhero, we mean, a faculty, who practices what he actually preaches!

Finding his passion and the roller-coaster of Corporate Law

As a young boy growing up in pre-liberalized West Bengal, Prof. Majumdar nurtured his love for theater, culture and music. Growing up in a middle-class family background, along with the social and political milieu of Kolata dealing with frequent strikes in Kolkata meant things weren’t always easy. “It gave me a huge benefit in terms of opening my mind and my horizons. It was a brilliant time, which in many ways raised my intellectual curiosity, wanting to try out different things” he says.

By the time Prof. Majumdar had completed his high school education from St. Joseph’s College, his childlike interests of becoming a tram driver had evolved into being a journalist. The road to NUJS had actually put a spanner in his wheels. “The entrance test result made me realize that there are many learned people studying law, and that they think I might be worthy of it too. So, I gave it a shot, enjoyed it and soon after my BA LLB went to Tulane University, US for my Masters,” he adds.

Soon after his Masters, Prof. Majumdar joined the corporate law firm Fox & Mandal and stayed on for 4 years. Within three months of his joining the firm, he was asked to man their London office. It was practically unheard of for a first year Associate. The high was followed by the low of the 2008 global financial crisis. “I went without a salary for three months but continued to work. It was an interesting and humbling time,” he says in retrospect. He would go on to join Desai & Diwanji, another corporate law firm later on.

Industry’s loss, academia’s gain

Prof. Majumdar joined JGLS in 2013 and teaches corporate law and ancillary subjects at the university. He is also the Director for Academic Planning, Coordination and Interdisciplinarity and looks after the university’s rankings. “Within a span of ten years, the university have made it to the top 2.67% of all universities globally. We hope to better our position in the world rankings in the future. The quality of our alumni in the industry and our academic network gives us our reputation,” he says proudly.

Network and reputation to boast of

In a short span of 10 years, JGU has mustered 250 international collaborations with top universities around the world. Prof. Majumdar asserts that there has been a dedicated effort to be more international and this is revealed in the university’s research focus as well. “We offer substantial rewards to faculty members to publish in top journals. We consistently try to build as many quality partnerships all over the world as we can,” he speaks of the efforts.

What makes JGU global?

According to Prof. Majumdar, there are three distinct reasons why JGU is a truly global university. Firstly, the university hires faculty with at least one international degree or international experience. “Secondly, our courses are steeped in the globally accepted practices and conform to globally accepted curricula. Finally, our pedagogies are global in nature, like the emphasis on case studies, which is followed at Harvard Law School,” he explains.

Hurdles for interdisciplinarity in India

Traditionally India has tried to set itself apart through super specialty. As early as in class 11th students are asked to choose between Science, Commerce, Arts, Humanities etc. “The problem with this is that you fail to understand that there is a world beyond your discipline. A law student should know a bit about finance and business. How else do you advise a client on business law? That has become a cornerstone to our approach to interdisciplinarity,” he adds.

Interdisciplinarity at JGU

With its eight schools, JGU has an inherent advantage that lends itself to interdisciplinary learning. Prof. Majumdar talks about the cross-listed electives from different schools that can be chosen by all students at the University. “We find that the students who do take up the cross-listed electives tend to have a better understanding of the world they live in. For future professionals and leaders, it’s really important to have such holistic education,” he claims.

The man behind the academic

Ask Prof. Majumdar one world problem he would like to fix, and pat comes the reply – climate crisis. Anything he would like to change about his life? He ponders and says that he regrets not studying engineering or an MBA but adds that he wouldn’t trade his life at all. Book he wants to write? “It would be to my son telling him about my life and mistakes I have made. Hopefully he won’t follow mine but make his own.” It’s something he wishes for his students too.

Do we look at people as who they are and what they do, rather than what they could have been? Wouldn’t you be more interested in what people wanted to be because it says a lot more about them? Sure, Prof. Sean Bala instantly piques your interest when you learn that he graduated from Harvard University. More than the mention of his alma mater it’s probably because his degree is in Comparative Study of Religion. Today, he is an Associate Professor and founding faculty member of Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities at JGU. But then he mentions everything he could have been or can see himself as – theater director in New York or Chicago, an aeronautics engineer building rocket ships, a leader of a religious community, you see the stories that could have unfolded.

Interestingly, one of his alternate reality roles could well have been of a novelist. But then in all seriousness he mentions that if he were to define his life’s work it would be titled ‘This is why we tell the story’. “Ultimately what I think is at the root of it, it is the importance of stories and the idea that our stories matter. We are all trying to understand who we are, where we fit into the world and how we should act in it. We do that through our stories, through the narratives we tell about ourselves. One of the problems in modern life is that we’ve downplayed these stories. The process of storytelling, that narrative, that fumbling, that constant exploration in the dark to try to understand who we are; that is actually the essence of being human,” he says inadvertently inspiring us to excerpt the story of his journey so far.

Finding his place through his passions

Prof. Bala earlier mentioned about us trying to fit into the world, and it’s something he had to do as he came from a small town in upstate New York to one of the most prestigious, hallowed universities in the world. Adjusting to a new world posed numerous personal and professional challenges. But finding his interest and passion in his chosen field of study helped him settle in. “The other thing that helped me was being involved in theater and performing arts when I was in college. The way academics and artistic interests were intertwined would have an unexpected impact over the course of my life. They were mutually reinforcing, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them,” he asserts. An academic background makes a person great reader of texts and gives them ideas to explore while the arts helps one understand how to present ideas in the most effective way possible.

India calling or was it?

For an academic, who has been in India for as long as Prof. Bala has, you would think that India would have been part of his long-term career plans. In fact, Prof. Bala asserts that India was never on his radar as a place he wanted to go to. Instead it was the opportunity to establish one of India’s first liberal arts schools that drew him to Sonipat. Reflecting on his choice to come to India, he states: “I tell my students that most of the time in your life you are not given good or bad choices. They are merely choices; it takes a real process of reflection and discernment to fully understand what you should be doing. I believe that you’ve moments in your life when you just know that this is the moment; this is where I am supposed to be now.”

What is Religion?

Prof. Bala is full of life, effervescent, but his stories are not merely of ‘what ifs’. He has a relaxed calm and charm about him. His conversations move seamlessly between topics but are colored with philosophical and spiritual themes—not surprising giving his education at the Divinity School at the University of Chicago. Many scholars have tried their hands at defining religion and even Prof. Bala has tried his hand at the task—a definition created in light of his myriad experiences. He says: “I think religion consists of two elements – stories we tell about ourselves and secondly, it’s a language. Languages have grammar, which is shared between different religions. They are malleable, they evolve but are surprisingly robust. Similar religions, or even the same religion, can take on different meanings and emphases depending on the time and location.” For example, Catholic and Protestant Christians each interpret the crucifixion of Jesus with different emphases, Shia and Sunni Muslims each interpret the story of Karbala distinctly, and the notion of karma is shared between Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism but has different meanings depending on the community.

Indiaand Religion

Prof. Bala’s informed views finding the landscape of India; the land of many religions, has to be a riveting combination. While he stressed on religion as language earlier, his first point of stories is what gains ground in the Indian context. According to him, religion is also cosmology and an ethic. In India, he admits, he has developed more interest in ethics. “Yes, I am interested in stories about how religions grow and build mythologies about themselves. But it’s also fascinating to understand how religion can contribute to conversations of how we live in the world today. If you can bring the two together, then it is about community formation and maintenance,” he says thoughtfully. 

Prof. Bala brings many diverse experiences to his study, rooted firmly in stories, community, and narratives. Why study religion? For Prof. Bala, religion ultimately helps us understand both the strength and the multiple meanings of religions, all towards creating constructive spaces for more nuanced conversations about the omnipresent role of religion in our lives.

A young man in his mid-20s gets offered professorship after obtaining his PhD research. Excited with what is a testament to his talent, he runs to his father with the piece of news. “Perfect, but you are totally unfit for it, continue with your research. Don’t confuse status with knowledge,” says the father offering a timely reality check. Today, that young boy is one of the most loved academicians, not only at Jindal Global University but in the country as well.

Dr. Shiv Visvanathan is a sum of his experiences, abundance of knowledge, humility, gentle and calm demeanor. He is the Professor and Vice Dean at JGU, and also holds the position of Executive Director, Centre for the Study of Knowledge System. That’s the ‘status quo’ for today, but his vast wisdom and influence on learning, is far greater. His work has explored the question of alternatives as a dialogue between the West and India. His writings have explored the psychological, cultural and political relations of science; the growing control of society by technology; and linkages between scientific establishment and authoritarian structures of state. He holds an adjunct Professorship at Raman Research Institute, Bangalore. He was Henry Luce Professor at Smith College Massachusetts. He was also visiting Professor at Stanford University and Center for Cultural Studies, Goldsmith College, University of London, Arizona State University and some other Indian universities.  Himself trained by names like C.V. Seshadri, Ramchandra Gandhi, and Ashis Nandy, he teaches his students “to dream”. He is the dreamer, an inspiration in our midst.

Learning that shaped the mind

Dr. Visvanathan is a trained social anthropologist with a PhD from the University of Delhi. Today a renowned social scientist, who coined the term ‘cognitive justice’, highly acclaimed author and academic, he has gone places, literally. But the seeds of the genius mind were sown during his days as a student. Interestingly he doesn’t refer to himself as a law student. He almost gleefully admits that his Vice Chancellor once described him jokingly as a law and order problem rather than a law student. But you know this was not just another rebel student when he shares his thoughts about Law. “I think what law does is that it gives you a certain sense of an enlightened vision of justice of the rituals involved in justice. There is a gap between law and justice, which every law department and every person committed to truth has to bridge,” he says judiciously.

Experiences maketh the man, the academic, the thinker

As he makes his point about Law, Dr. Visvanathan reminisces about the time he worked on the Truth Commission in South Africa and what he learned from Desmond Tutu. The Nobel Peace Prize winner reminded him that law can speak several languages. The Truth Commission in Zulu and in English had different meanings. “Law is a set of dialects under a universal notion of justice. So, we’re not working only with an Anglo-Saxon concept of law. We’re now looking for a more cosmopolitan view of justice. Law is going to translate the vision of the world, law is going to translate the new vision of justice, law is going to show you that methodologies can be creative guarantees to the rituals of justice,” he declares.

His brush with Desmond Tutu is just one of the many terrific experiences in his life. He led one of the first teams to the Bhopal gas disaster, he worked on UN University project for security and militarization, he spent 10 years investigating the Gujarat riots, has investigated the history of corruption in India, was a consultant for the Carnegie Commission and has taught at reputed institutes all over the world. He is the author of Organizing for Science (OUP, Delhi, 1985), A Carnival for Science (OUP, Delhi, 1997), Theatres of Democracy (OUP, Delhi, 1997) and co-editor of Foulplay: Chronicles of Corruption, Theaters of Democracy (2016). The list is endless, as his quest for learning as well as teaching, sharing the knowledge.

Influences that molded the inspiring educator

Dr. Visvanathan believes he was privileged to be taught by C.V. Seshadri, one of the greatest energy experts of the country. He recounts his words, ‘If you’re a teacher, your best success is when your student takes over and you’re eliminated’. According to him, “That is merit, that’s succession. That’s the dream of scholarship that you create a community of students who can actually bear your message without your overbearing presence.” He also mentions the influences of storytellers like Ramchandra Gandhi and Ashish Nandy. He asserts that for them the anecdote is a fable, it’s a story, it’s a moral and it’s also a theory. It’s probably why he is against today’s idea of ‘downloadable knowledge’. “Knowledge is something you acquire, and you work through it, you dream it. So, I teach my students to dream and not to be afraid to be stupid when they make mistakes. In fact, I give the highest marks for the most interesting research mistake in my class,” he says.

Unusual yes, unsurprising, definitely not. In fact, that’s something you expect from this unique genius, who smudges boundaries, broadens horizons. He can seamlessly switch subjects; write about Theatre of Democracy and Amitabh Bachchan, who in turn has written him a long letter. He talks of Descartes and Galileo as he explains why he prefers academic integrity over academic rigor. “Rigor is important in certain fields but first is the act of imagination. You invent, you create, you dream, you distort, and you make mistakes. And then when you clear up, you’ve two things: beauty and truth between and rigor. Rigor is never alone.” That’s just a peek into his precious and powerful mind that students of JGU get to experience and be mentored by on campus.

We are the sum of our lived-in experiences and how we respond to them. That’s certainly true of Prof. Lipika Kamra, who was impacted by the conversations around gender and patriarchy during her college days. Today, the Assistant Professor, Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities focuses her research on gender, development and democracy in India. She believes that her research skills also help her understand and pay attention to the needs of her students. For someone who got a scholarship to pursue her Ph.D. at Oxford University, you would think academia was the obvious choice. But Prof. Kamra had set out wanting to be a journalist actually. We follow the story of what has been Journalism’s loss yet Academia’s gain.

Early influences

Growing up in a family involved with the business world, Prof. Kamra was a quiet and studious child. Living in Delhi, which is also largely the picture elsewhere in the country, she remained aware of different rules and restrictions for boys and girls. Her thoughts found voice in her all-girls’ Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi University, which she calls a liberating experience. “It was the space where we would have a lot of conversations about gender and patriarchy. It helps you understand your life situation and how you can get out of it. It was a turning point for me and how I started looking at the city itself! There have been several discussions since the Nirbhaya incident, on safety in public spaces, how women shape their lives, the Indian women narrative, etc. and these have been life transforming,” she says.

Research allows time to reflect

Prof. Kamra chose academia over journalism because the fast-paced nature of the latter would mean less time to ponder over things you see and observe around you. Her’s definitely is a more thorough style of research. When she was doing her doctoral research in West Bengal, she learned Bengali. She calls the experience challenging but enormously also enriching. “In 2013 – 14, I did field work in what once used to be a Maoist zone. I was looking at women’s development programs and what those mean for reconstructing relations between the state and the citizens. I spent a lot of time talking to poor rural women who were waiting for developmental aids, facilitated by the state. It was a challenging experience but helped me a lot as an academic and teacher today,” she recalls.

Oxford beckons

The immediate impact of the research was a scholarship for her Ph.D. at Oxford. Prof. Kamra remembers the days spent there writing her thesis and attending number of events including seminars and guest talks. Throughout the duration, she would be in touch with her supervisor but there were other interesting discussions that offered further valuable exposure. Talking of her time in Oxford she says, “If you are researching for your Ph.D. there you are considered an expert in the area and are treated like a professional. Even though my research work was in India I could have conversations on similar themes with colleagues from Africa or Latin America. So you move your narrow focus from a small village to various contexts and differences around the world. I believe the exposure to academics in different parts of the world was important in building my own intellectual thinking and development over time,” she adds thoughtfully.

How research benefits the classroom

Presently, Prof. Kamra is working on a book based on her PhD research while doing field work in rural Haryana. She also tries to find time and watch the latest movies on the first weekend because it gives her a handle on pop culture and understanding how people are representing it. Clearly, it’s a case of once an academic, always an academic. But that’s good news for students of JSLH, who gain from the experience of the dedicated researcher, who is up to date with pop culture references. She smiles and responds in all seriousness. “Since most of the research methods I use are ethnographic, you spend a lot of time talking to people. So, you build a persona where you always seek what people have to tell you. This skill of observing and talking to people helps me in the classroom as well. It helps me understand what students are thinking, where they might need more explanation, how they are as people and how I might be able to relate to them,” she concludes revealing the reason behind her classroom connections that enable growth of future professionals, academics, and of course researchers like her.

“We are all given certain roles to execute, what we want to become is our desire. The best way forward not only for you but for others as well, is to amalgamate the two,” says Prof. Deepanshu Mohan of . His words make you wonder if you are speaking to a proponent of Philosophy. But he is in fact Associate Professor of Economics and the Director of Centre for New Economic Studies at . Growing up his two passions were cricket and theater. How he manages to incorporate the skills from both into his innings as an academic, sets the stage for an engaging interview.

Being a good sport

A Master of Science, Economic History from the prestigious London School of Economics, Deepanshu Mohan, is also the columnist on South Asia for his alma mater. He is also the Visiting Professor at Carleton University, Canada. It almost seems like he was meant to be an academic. But growing up in the city of Nawab’s- Lucknow, his first love remained cricket. “I started with gully cricket and slowly moved up to stadiums and got chosen for district level team. When I was training and leading teams, I learned a lot about coordination and team building. Today my work involves a lot of coordination and support with faculty members as well as students, so those skills definitely come quite handy in my role as an academic,” he says with a smile.

All the world’s a stage, academia included

Lack of parental support meant Mohan could not pursue a career in the sport. But that didn’t stop him from following his passion for theatre. He admits that his acute interest in drama began in his high school years and took him to the hallowed Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai where he performed a few times. Again, according to his philosophy, it wasn’t something he was meant to do but he does delve into the skills in the classroom. “I left theatre in my college days. My only way of revisiting it now is while I am teaching. Look, that’s a lot of theatre as well. We are all working on our own scripts,” he says. His answer is as profound as it is baffling; words that you imagine would describe his stage presence too.

The Influences that make an academic

Deepanshu went to college in Pune where he returned to teach after his stint with LSE. His sister, a consultant in Canada had to support his studies in London, in spite of his Commonwealth Scholarship. Today he teaches International Economics, Development Economics and interdisciplinary applications of Economics at JGU. The influences of living in these cities are seen in his work, the pedagogies imbibed in his teaching. “At LSE there were two aspects; lectures with 60 students and seminars or tutorials with 10 of us. We would be given questions and had to respond with a set of readings. That helped me connect with smaller groups of students, especially Masters students at JGU,” he reflects.

Enriching research experience for students

An avid researcher, Deepanshu has published on several topics. You ask him about his favorite work, and he surprises you with another thought-provoking retort. Sometimes research brings higher degree of satisfaction, not only for the researcher but respondents too. For him that project was research on domestic help workers in cities. A part of the book chapter it also involved his fellow faculty members and students. “The idea was to build a profile of domestic help workers in metropolises and understand if the income they earn increases their own intra-household bargaining power. Does it enhance their independence in their own homes? It was an interesting experience for students as it was the first time they were interacting with domestic help workers, not as care providers but an agency in themselves. If you are working in areas of social sciences, your understanding of society is enhanced when you get the opportunity to interact with those you don’t talk to on a daily basis,” he leaves us on another poignant note.