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School of International Studies

School of International Studies

Introduction                            
 
M.A. (IRAS) Time-Table for First Semester Monsoon -2024
M.A. (IRAS) Time-Table for Third Semester Monsoon-2024
M.A. (IRAS) Course List-updated-December-2023
M.A. (PISM) Course List-updated-December-2023
M.A. (EILM) Time-Table for First Semester Monsoon-2024
M.A. (EILM) Time-Table for Third Semester Monsoon-2024
M.A. (EILM) Course List

 

The School of International Studies (SIS) is a premier institution for the study of International Relations and Area Studies in the country. Established in 1955, SIS is set to celebrate its seventieth anniversary next year – in 2025. In the seven decades of its existence, SIS has made a pioneering contribution to promoting the study of International Relations and Area Studies in India and advancing knowledge and understanding of international affairs through theoretical and inter-disciplinary lenses.

 

History: Of all the Schools of the University, SIS lays claim to the longest history as it was established in 1955 as the Indian School of International Studies (ISIS). The need for an institution devoted to the study of international and global developments was felt in the early post-independence years as India prepared to define and assert its position in the global system. The Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), which traced its roots back to 1943, was then the only institution in the country concerned with analysing foreign affairs and it recognized the need to foster and promote the study and interpretation of global political, social and economic developments. A committee headed by Pandit Hriday Nath Kunzru recommended the setting up of the ISIS, which was established in October 1955, with Dr A. Appadorai as its first Director. While it was affiliated with the University of Delhi in its initial years, ISIS became a part of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in June 1970 as the School of International Studies (SIS).

 

Academic Programmes: In its early years, the only degree awarded by the School was the Ph.D. Soon after the School became a part of JNU, the M.Phil. curriculum was introduced in 1971-72. In the following academic year (1973-74), the School started offering a two-year M.A. programme in Politics (Specialization in International Relations). In 1995-96, a new and unique M.A. programme in Economics (Specialization in World Economy) was introduced by the erstwhile Economics Division of the Centre for Studies in Diplomacy, International Law & Economics – now the Centre for International Trade and Development (CITD). A third M.A. programme in International Relations and Area Studies was introduced in the academic year 2016-17, with a specialized focus on Area Studies.

 

Each of these courses has attracted interest from students all over the country and abroad and every year, the admission process has become increasingly competitive. The M.Phil. programme was discontinued in the year 2021; in a period of five decades, a total of 4,707 M.Phil. degrees were awarded in SIS. As of 2024, a staggering 2,053 scholars have been awarded a Ph.D degree in SIS. In the current academic year, there are a total of 301 students enrolled in the School – 123 in the M.A. (PISM), 62 in the M.A (IRAS), 24 in the M.A. (EILM) and 92 in the Ph.D programmes across SIS.

 

Programmes of Study: The 13 centres of SIS include four functional centres and nine Area Studies centres:
Functional Centres:
  • * Centre for Comparative Politics and Political Theory
  • * Centre for International Legal Studies
  • * Centre for International Politics, Organization & Disarmament
  • * Centre for International Trade and Development
Area Studies Centres:
  • * Center for African Studies
  • * Centre for Canadian, US and Latin American Studies
  • * Centre for East Asian Studies
  • * Centre for European Studies
  • * Centre for Indo-Pacific Studies
  • * Centre for Inner Asian Studies
  • * Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies
  • * Centre for South Asian Studies
  • * Center for West Asian Studies

 

 Additionally, there are two cross-cutting thematic study programmes:

 

Faculty: The backbone of SIS is its faculty, currently numbering 123 (as of May 2024), with 46 Professors, 42 Associate Professors and 35 Assistant Professors. Faculty members of the School have contributed to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge in International Studies, not only through their teaching and research supervision but also by extensive publication. Besides, the School faculty are sought after as consultants to various government agencies as well as non-government organisations for their specialised expertise. They are also audible and visible in radio discussions and television programmes on subjects relating to international affairs.
 
Activities: The School as well as its Centres hold national and international seminars on a regular basis on important aspects of area studies and international relations. Three Annual International Studies Conferences have been organized by SIS on a grand scale, bringing together the International Relations community (including academics as well as practitioners) across the country:

 

  • * 2013 Annual International Studies Convention – Re-imagining Global Orders: Perspectives from the South (11-13 December 2013)
  • * 2015 Annual International Studies Convention – Power, Resistance and Justice in the International System: Perspectives from the South (22-23 March 2015)
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The School also organizes a series of extension lectures every year – the “Hriday Nath Kunzru Memorial (Extension) Lectures on International Relations” – on a contemporary theme.

 

Journal: The School publishes a quarterly journal by the name of International Studies. Founded in July 1959, this journal has acquired an international standing as the leading Indian academic journal in the field. It publishes original research articles on contemporary issues and problems as well as theoretical readings. Being a referred journal, it attracts contributions not only from SIS faculty and other Indian universities/research institutions but also from scholars all over the world.
 
Prof. Amitabh Mattoo
Dean
School of International Studies
Jawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi-110067
011-26704328, 26742592
amattoo@mail.jnu.ac.in, amitabh.mattoo@gmail.com, dean_sis@jnu.ac.in

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.