Institute of Development Studies Kolkata (IDSK) is devoted to advanced academic research and informed policy advice in the areas of literacy, education, health, women, employment, technology, communication human sciences and economic development. The academic programmes at IDSK include MPhil and PhD programmes in social sciences and short training programmes for research scholars.
IDSK has made its mark in the world of research in social sciences and humanities in West Bengal and Eastern India. It offers state-of-the-art IT and library facilities to its students and research scholars. IDSk regularly organizes training and research programmes, often in collaboration with other academic institutions, such as:
- the departments of history, economics, political science, philosophy, business management at the (Science College).
- the Centre for Urban Economic Studies, Women’s Studies Research Centre, and Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities (Calcutta University).
- History of IDSK
- Rabindranath Tagore Centre for Human Development Studies (RTCHDS)
- Collaborations
- Visits by Eminent Scholars
History of IDSK
The Institute of Development Studies Kolkata (IDSK) was set up in 2002 by the Government of West Bengal as an autonomous centre of excellence in social sciences. It is a society with an autonomous governing body with one of the most eminent historians in India, Irfan Habib as President and Amiya Kumar Bagchi as Director.
The multidisciplinary MPhil programme in Development Studies was launched by IDSK in 2006 under the auspices of the University of Calcutta.
The new governing council constituted in 2010 includes such eminent academics as Prabuddha Nath Roy as President, Amiya Kumar Bagchi as Director, Asis Kumar Banerjee as Secretary and Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, Atis Dasgupta, Subimal Sen, Ratan Khasnabis, Abhijit Chowdhury and Sarmila Banerjee as its members.
Rabindranath Tagore Centre for Human Development Studies (RTCHDS)
The Rabindranath Tagore Centre for Human Development Studies (RTCHDS) is a joint initiative of IDSK and the University of Calcutta. The centre, sponsored by UGC, focuses on the study of human development in reference to the works of Rabindranath Tagore, interpreted in the context of current issues. The academic programmes of RTCHDS include organizing seminars, supporting doctoral research, hosting post doctoral fellows and visiting academics at various levels.
Read more on RTCHDS
Back to Top
Collaborations
- Collaboration with University of Calcutta: The multidisciplinary M.Phil programme in Development Studies offered by IDSK in collaboration with the Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH), University of Calcutta is a degree conferred by the University of Calcutta. The teaching faculty mainly consists of the IDSK faculty and the university faculty associated with CSSH.
- Collaboration with Maison des Sciences de l'Homme, Paris: IDSK and Maison des Sciences de l'Homme (MSH), Paris have entered into collaborative relations. IDSK faculty members have held fellowships at the MSH. In the academic year 2007- 08, a collaborative conference, 'Utopia, Dystopia and Development' was held between the two institutions.
- Collaboration with Monash Asia Institute, Monash University, Australia: IDSK has entered into an active collaboration with Monash Asia Institute, Monash University, Australia, in areas of public health and environmental studies with particular reference to climate change. A team from IDSK consisting of Ajit Banerjee, Indrani Chakraborty and Jenia Mukherjee participated in an interactive session on climate change at Monash, in August 2010.
- Collaboration with Department of Economics, University of Siena, Italy: IDSK has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Economics, University of Siena, covering possible academic exchanges between IDSK and the Department.
Visits by Eminent Scholars
IDSK has been honoured by visits from many world renowned scholars and even Nobel laureates. Following is a list of distinguished scholars who have paid visits to IDSK:
- Amartya Sen
- Joseph Stiglitz
- James Mirlees
- Gayati Chakraborty Spivak
- Tapas Mazumdar
- Arjun Sengupta
- Martha Nussbaum
- Sugata Basu
