SYLFF Fellowship - Orientation 2003

SYLFF Fellowship - Orientation 2004

SYLFF Fellowship - Orientation 2003

Proceedings of the First Orientation Programme for writing a good research proposal for SYLFF held on 30.9.2003.

The primary focus of the programme was towards:

1. Providing guidelines, tips on skill and motivation towards preparation of a good research proposal that can comply with SYLFF, JU goals.
(It was conducted and delivered by the SYLFF Project director.)

Other deliberations were to:

• Acquaint the participants about Nippon Foundation and Tokyo Foundation, their programmes worldwide agenda and visions.

• The JU SYLFF agenda and information about the Scholarship.

The chair was held by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. A N Basu. The VC spoke about the unique character of JU and the personalities involved in making of JU with a vision different than other universities and how JU continues to encourage an independent approach to looking at developmental issues instead to borrowing already existing frameworks. He emphasized that SYLFF is a humble effort of JU supported by Tokyo Foundation which is in perfect tune with the core goal of the university. He invited the young minds to come up with fresh ideas to make life sustainable on earth. Dean of Arts Faculty, Members of the SYLFF steering committee as well as professors from few other departments attended the programme. Dean faculty of Arts wanted to reiterate the need for dedicated hard work and explained the various follow up programmes and how a SYLFF fellow can get into the world wide network. After this project director made a power point presentation giving the participants an idea about SYLFF, JU goals and how applicants should write a research proposal looking at the social changes in contemporary society.

There was a very positive response from the participants. Round about 90 students attended the programme and there were many students not only from the other universities of the state but also from neighbouring states. They showed an eagerness to know more about SYLFF and TKFD and the other SYLFF institutes around the world. The proposal writing deliberation of one hour by project director was followed by an intensive interactive session of almost one and half hour with the students about the various research ideas. Nearly all participants felt that the session on how to write research proposals and look at social issues was very informative and that they were looking forward to more. They felt that the programme added real value over and above their regular course work which does not contain any training on skill formation for writing good research proposal. Students departed with added enthusiasm and promise for writing good research proposal to compete for the announced fellowships.

Programme was from 11 a.m –2.30 pm. Venue was K.P. Basu Memorial Hall In JU Campus.

SYLFF Fellowship - Orientation 2004

Proceedings of the SYLFF-JU Orientation Programme held at the K.P. Basu Memorial Hall on August 30, 2004

                             The Second SYLFF-JU Orientation workshop

was held on the 30^th of August, 2004 at the K.P. Basu Memorial Hall on the Jadavpur University campus. The day began at 11:00 am and ended at 1:30 pm. Like last year the main emphasis of the programme was to clearly outline the SYLFF Goals and also to impart a formal training to the potential young researchers regarding the composition of research proposals.

         The orientation experience was made illuminating and vibrant for the audience of 74 by eloquent words spoken by the Honorable Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ashok Nath Basu, Dean Faculty of Arts, Prof. Biswajeet Chatterjee and the SYLFF Project Director and Organiser of the Orientation, Prof. Joyashree Roy.

         Presiding over the programme the Vice-Chancellor requested Prof. Roy to enlighten the audience about The Tokyo Foundation, The Nippon foundation, and the SYLFF-JU association. She proudly spoke of Jadavpur University’s association with the SYLFF programme. She expressed to the audience her belief that the students of the University would benefit from the experiences that such a programme would provide. She spoke of how Jadavpur University has acquired the privilege of being the first Indian institute of higher learning to obtain the endowment of US$ 1 million and of being a part of the network of SYLFF universities and students all over the world. Then she went on to state the benefits that would ensue to a SYLFF Fellow. She emphasized the chief goals of the SYLFF programme, focusing on its Social Science and Humanities content against a backdrop of multi-disciplinary research.

         The Dean took the podium next. He expressed his happiness in being present to address yet another SYLFF Orientation programme. He spoke about the uniqueness of the Programme in terms of providing young leaders at the Master’s level to take up the responsibility of fruitful research. He reiterated the multi-disciplinary nature of the research under the SYLFF Programme giving special prominence to the content and quality of the research and its targeted emphasis on Sustainable Development.

         These words were followed by a new segment in the programme where the University’s first SYLFF Fellows shared a few words with the potential applicants.

         Madhuchanda Ghosh, the first PhD Fellow expressed her gratitude to the SYLFF-JU Programme relating how useful she had found the Orientation held last August 30^th. She advised the contenders to keep the goals of SYLFF in mind while framing the proposal. Lastly she spoke of how the experience commencing with the composition of the research proposal to her defense of the same has been immensely rewarding for her.

         Ritajyoti Bandyopadhyay one of the two Master’s level SYLFF Fellows took the podium after Madhuchanda. He emphatically spoke of how this programme will serve as an avenue for the exchange of ideas from diverse Social Science and Humanities backgrounds. He concurred with Madhuchanda on the valuable experience of facing the defense committee emphasizing the informal and interactive nature of the entire selection procedure. He lauded the novel manner in which the defense session was conducted where not only the presiding academics but the contending researchers had an opportunity to question each of the applicants. He maintained that this exercise dispelled the initial feelings of competitiveness and allowed all contenders to come out with a sense of companionship and bonding.

         Avishek Bose the second Master’s level SYLFF Fellow talked about how through this Fellowship Programme research can be taken in diverse directions. However he advised the potential contenders to exercise caution emphasizing the importance of avoiding digressions and that of keeping the research focused on answering its inherent question. He recounted to the listeners the emphasis placed by the Programme on content.

         These personal accounts were followed by wise words spoken by the Vice-Chancellor. He shared with the audience his feelings regarding the reductionist nature of research and learning maintaining that this methodology of research would be supplanted in the future by one which will be multi-disciplinary with boundaries between different disciplines fast fading. In order to facilitate the understanding of this new research discipline he exemplified the case of Dr. Amartya Sen’s Nobel Prize winning research which is a confluence of Economics and Philosophy. He impressed upon the audience that SYLFF is an avenue through which such multi-disciplinarity can be exercised in research and from which the individual researcher and society as a whole would emerge gainful. Next he spoke about the importance of the Orientation exercise impressing upon the audience the import of being able to intellectually arrange the research proposal into a coherent, concise, well organized and gripping piece of literature. He ended his speech with words of encouragement expressing his desire to see novel research being conducted in the days to come by future SYLFF fellows.

         Prof. Roy took over the session next, giving a formal presentation on how to write a research proposal. She maintained that this would be a facilitating exercise as students are not given any training at their Master’s level on the rules to adhere to while composing their proposals. She repeatedly instructed the audience to keep the SYLFF goals in mind emphasizing the value of proposals which are concise, coherent, creative, close to the researchers’ heart and always with conclusive policy content and a timeline in view. She elucidated the need of using persuasive, honest, and urgent tone of writing always keeping the profile of the SYLFF reading community in perspective.

         Once over many people from the audience asked questions off Prof. Roy on issues related to the policy content of the research, scope of study, literature review and construction of the timeline. She explained each of the questions clearly with examples and ended the day with the offer to help the potential participants of the Programme with valuable tips and advice regarding the composition in the days following up to November 20, 2004.

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