SWEDISH SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES NETWORK

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Manipal University, India, launches Programme on Gandhian & Peace Studies

A new initiative has been taken by Manipal University, to launch a Post Graduate (PG) Diploma in Gandhian & Peace Studies. Manipal University is located 45 miles away from Mangalore in Karnataka (India).

Manipal University web page: http://www.manipal.edu/

This initiative is not going to be only timely and relevant but very appropriate and in tune with the current international security environment. The challenge has been immense before the international community regarding attaining world peace and stability. In order to address this emerging challenge, Manipal University has designed a Post Graduate Diploma course in Gandhian & Peace Studies which would suit to all in terms of finding answers to the emerging complex problems. This one year (two semesters) course would be relevant for senior leaders in corporate institutions, strategic and academic community, diplomatic and people from the armed forces. The structure of the course would be flexible and one can be given the liberty to choose only a couple of modules suiting one’s own interest and also because of the time constraint. The fresher may like to do full two semesters course.

Over the years, Manipal University has emerged as the true epitome of quality teaching and research in the field of natural sciences & engineering, health sciences, social sciences & humanities, management, geopolitics, communications and commerce. The university has always promoted good academic ideas and responded to the very timely requirements of both nation and the world by creating new teaching and research areas where the larger goal has always been to add value to the existing knowledge and literature. The objective has never only been to consume the existing knowledge but also to help in creating it. 

There seems to be a consensus worldwide among the members of the strategic and academic community that the current global security environment has been confronting with a number of challenges in terms of maintaining peace and stability. It has been more likely so because of the rise of non-state actors. Under this prevailing situation, it would be a worthwhile idea to revisit Gandhi and his philosophy and see how best we can use his concepts in dealing with the international security situations today. The various questions as to why Gandhi is relevant in modern world and India and what hopes do Gandhian values hold up to a world caught under the shadow of terror reflect the real concerns our modern society has been confronting with today.
Gandhian philosophy has always been considered by Gandhians as a universal and timeless philosophy and hence the course on Gandhian and peace becomes more relevant and important. Moreover, the relevance of Gandhian philosophy in the current context is being realized elsewhere in the world. It is generally believed among the members of the strategic and academic community that revisiting Gandhian philosophy would help in understanding the larger complex issues of security situations and ultimately help in bringing peace in the world.

Under this backdrop, Manipal University has a plan to launch a Programme on Post Graduate (PG) Diploma in Gandhian & Peace Studies during the second week of February 2010. The duration of the course would be one year consisting of two semesters. The broad objective of the course would be to make a modest attempt in analyzing the various Gandhian concepts and relate those concepts to the current problems and concerns of the international security environment. It would be 40 credit course, which will also have a component of 8 credits assigned to the field work conducted in Rural India either attached with some NGOs or to the ongoing rural development programmes in India.
The following papers would be taught with a cornucopia of Gandhian concepts during the two semester course:

1)      Gandhi & the Dynamics of International Security Environment

2)      Gandhi’s Life & Philosophy: Relevance in the 21st Century

3)       Gandhi and Changing Culture & Civilisation

4)      Gandhi & the Logic of War and Peace

5)      Rural Society and Development in India

6)      Globalisation and Development: A Gandhian Perspective

7)      Gandhi, Governance and the Corporate World

8)      World Peace in the Nuclear Age

The two semester programme has further been designed into various modules. Each module will contain two papers. There will be four modules altogether. Those interested in doing only one module consisting of two papers would also be allowed and accommodated. The larger goal would be to disseminate knowledge and information on Gandhian philosophy and inculcate interest and see what best can be done to attain world peace.

International researchers and students with an interest for the programme should get in touch with Manipal University. They will be offered a holistic understanding on Gandhi and co-relate his concepts by using some classic case studies in the teaching modules used at Manipal University.

Contact person: Dr. Arvind Kumar, Head, Gandhian & Peace Studies & Professor of Geopolitics
Manipal University, Manipal – 576104, India, Phone: 91-820-2922398, Fax: 91-820-2570062