The Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS) group at IIT Gandhinagar (IITGN) currently offers training in critical inquiry and understanding of the social world in terms of courses and mentoring to both undergraduate and graduate students. The HSS faculty team with its diverse expertise in literature, translation studies, political science, philosophy, cognitive science, sociology, public health and cultural studies is uniquely equipped to offer a multidisciplinary Minor Program. With a goal of strengthening and expanding the vision of IITGN in achieving well-rounded, broad-based, and excellent higher education, a Minor Program is proposed for undergraduate students starting from Spring 2013. The Minor Program will introduce the theory and practice of humanities and social sciences research in order to help students complement their engineering education with a critical understanding of global processes/transformations. The HSS team believes that a program such as this one is crucial in not only shaping students’ career choices and perspectives but also in making the learning experience at IITGN a unique one in the country. Finally, it is also envisioned that this would facilitate dialogues between and within disciplines by capitalizing on the science, technology and social sciences interface at IITGN.
