School of International studies (SIS) was originally known as the The Indian School of International Studies. In 1970 the Indian School of International Studies was merged with Jawaharlal Nehru University and renamed as School of International studies. This makes School of International Studies is the oldest school of the University, older than the University itself. The School has established itself as one of the premier institutions in the country for the study of international relations and area studies. It is the first institution in the country to promote "Area Studies" and to develop expertise on various countries and regions of the world. It has also acquired an international reputation as a center of advanced learning.
History
After independence The Indian Council of World Affairs, realized that to promote study of international affairs in India effectively, it was important to train young men and women in interpreting current global developments in economic, social and political spheres. It was in pursuance of the recommendations of a committee headed by Pandit Hriday Nath Kunzru that the Indian School of International Studies was established in October 1955 with Dr. A. Appadorai as the first Director of the School.
To begin with, the School was affiliated to the University of Delhi. From September 1961 till the School was merged with the Jawaharlal Nehru University in June 1970, it functioned as a deemed university. Following the merger, the prefix "Indian" was dropped from the name of the School and it became the School of International Studies of the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Faculty
Presently, there are 75 faculty members in the School, including 40 professors, 27 associate professors and 7 assistant professors. We also have 5 Emeritus Professors and Distinguished Scholars in the School. Besides, there are 3 research officers/ documentation officers.
In the recent years, several Chairs have been instituted in the School. These are Appadorai Chair, Nelson Mandela Chair, State Bank of India Chair and Chairs in Environmental Law and Space Law. Members of the faculty 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 publishing books and journal articles of highest international repute.
The School faculty have also been invited as Consultants to various Government and non-Government Organisations for their specialised expertise and they have been participating in radio discussions and television programs on subjects relating to international affairs.The School holds national and international seminars from time to time on important aspects of area studies, inter-country relations and on themes relating to the study of international relations as an academic discipline.
Programs of Study
The School offers the following M.Phil./Ph.D. programs of study:
i) American Studies
ii) Latin American Studies
iii) West European Studies
iv) Canadian Studies
v) Diplomatic Studies
vi) International Legal Studies
vii) International Trade and Development
viii) Chinese Studies
ix) Japanese and Korean Studies
x) International Politics
xi) International Organisation
xii) Disarmament Studies
xiii) Political Geography
xiv) Russian and East European Studies
xv) South Asian Studies
xvi) South East Asian & Southwest Pacific Studies
xvii) Central Asian Studies
xviii) West Asian and North African Studies
xix) African Studies
Courses Offered
- M.Phil./ Ph.D programs are offered in all the centres listed above.
- M.A. Politics (International Studies) The M.A. program in Politics (International Studies) was introduced in the School in the academic year 1973-74 to fill the great demand for an MA Political Science program with specialisation in International Studies. This program, apart from core courses in Political Science, also offers core courses in key disciplinary areas of International Studies, as well as a wide range of courses which are both discipline and area based. This is one of most popular and largest postgraduate programs of the University with a present intake capacity of 69.
- M.A. Economics (with specialisation on World Economy) This program is run by the Centre for International Trade & Development(CITD).
Lectures and Events
The School also holds a series of extension lectures every year on a theme relating to contemporary international relations. Pursuant to a decision of the Academic Council in February 1989, these lectures are now known as "Hriday Nath Kunzru Memorial (Extension) Lectures on International Relations". The theme of this Lecture series in 2000 was Regional Dynamics in International Relations.
Under an endowment funded by Asia Publishing House, Bombay, it holds lectures in memory of the great poet and patriot, Sarojini Naidu and invites a distinguished scholar or statesman to deliver the memorial lecture. For over two decades, at the request of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, the School organized a training course for each batch of Indian Foreign Service probationers for a period ranging from three to four months and gave them the necessary orientation for their diplomatic career.
Journals and Publications
The School publishes a quarterly journal, 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 issues and problems, including problems of theory of contemporary relevance in the broad field of international relations and area studies. Being a refereed journal, it attracts contributions not only from the members of the School faculty and other Indian universities/ research institutions but also from scholars all over the world.
Alumni
- Nirmala Sitharaman- Minister of Finance of India
- Subrahmanyam Jaishankar- Minister of External Affairs of India
- Venu Rajamony - Press Secretary to the President of India
- Sanjaya Baru - Media advisor and chief spokesperson of former PM, Manmohan Singh