The Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence (Shiv Nadar IoE) has signed a unique partnership agreement with the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London to offer a one-year Joint MA in Global Urban Sociology.
Considered a first of its kind in equal partnership across the North and the South, the program is designed jointly by faculty in Anthropology and Sociology from both institutions. It is aimed at students who seek advanced learning in an intensive degree program, as well as working professionals who seek added skills in their career paths. The one-year (12-month) MA program will allow students to study in two premier institutions and two contrasting cities. Students will have the opportunity to travel to the UK and India as part of the program, with the first term spent in London at SOAS, the second term spent in Delhi, followed by a dissertation which can be completed on either of the campuses or remotely. They will be registered at both institutions and will have access to resources and facilities from both institutions throughout the program. Upon completion of the program, students will be awarded a joint MA by SOAS, University of London and Shiv Nadar IoE.
Speaking at the launch of the program, Professor Ananya Mukherjee, Vice-Chancellor of Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, said, “This is a significant step for all of us. Having worked in the development world, I have observed people discussing the co-creation of knowledge across borders. However, it’s much easier said than done. This partnership is a result of sheer dedication and hard work over the last eighteen months. But the real work starts now. We aim to produce graduates bold enough to have different imaginaries of global collaboration, learn differently, speak differently, and imagine a different world.”
SOAS, London is ranked 5th in the UK and 12th in the world for Anthropology (QS World University Rankings 2023). Shiv Nadar IoE is India’s premier multidisciplinary, research university established in 2011 by Shiv Nadar, one of India’s foremost philanthropists and a pioneer of the technological revolution. It is also the youngest university in the country to have been awarded the “Institution of Eminence” status by the Government of India. It is ranked amongst the top 36% of institutions in Asia according to QS Asia 2024.
Professor Adam Habib, Director of SOAS, said, “This partnership is an attempt to find equality in an unequal world. It is also an attempt to make positive interventions in pedagogy and allow us to act as agents in transforming our education system. This is also an attempt to create nuanced knowledge that is global and contextual to the realities of the Global South.”
This MA specifically seeks to address real-world issues in the context of the most significant transformation of the planet, i.e. urbanization. It is also one of the few programmes in the world to focus on the global sociology of cities and is a response to a worldwide escalation in demand for urban expertise. The curricula include issues like climate change, urban ecologies, digital governance, public health, social infrastructure, city architecture and urban humanitarianisms in addition to urban research design.
The programme has a set tuition fee of £12,500 which is a fraction of the range usually paid by Indian students in the UK. Competitive financial aid will also be available for the program. Applications to the program are currently open and will be accepted until the 31st of July 2024. The program will commence in September 2024. Interested candidates can apply through this link: please visit: https://snu.edu.in/programs/shiv-nadar-ioe-soas-joint-ma-global-urban-sociology/
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