JNU | RTI | Directory | Contact Us | Emergency Services | List of Holidays
-A A +A

Faculty

Faculty


Atul Kumar
Professor
Atul Kumar is Professor of the Energy Studies Programme at Jawaharlal Nehru University. He received his PhD in energy policy and planning from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. With over two decades of professional experience, Prof Kumar has led several studies on energy sector assessment, climate change mitigation, energy-economy-environment interaction modelling using various modelling and analytical tools for numerous national and international agencies/organizations at various levels. He was instrumental in supporting the formulation of India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change and leading the development of a national level energy-economy-environment model to support the formulation of India’s Nationally Determined Contribution submitted to UNFCCC as a part of the Paris Agreement as a part of the project sponsored by Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India. Prof. Kumar previously held the Dean of Academics of TERI School of Advanced Studies and Fellow and Area Convenor at The Energy and Resources Institute (TER), New Delhi. He was appointed as the Prince Claus Chair Professor on Development and Equity at the Utrecht University, the Netherlands (2010–12).

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.