- The GSHS Bengaluru will be an addition to the three existing Schools of Technology, Business and Science. GSHS will offer Bachelor of Arts (BA) and PhD programmes in Psychology, Political Science, Economics and English
- The programmes aim to equip students with the core knowledge, employability skills, and a multidisciplinary perspective relevant to job and research as well as creative work
GITAM (Deemed to be University) Bengaluru campus today launched the GITAM School of Humanities and Social Science (GSHS) amid an august gathering that included the likes of Syed Kirmani, former Indian cricketer and Padma Shri awardee; Prof. R S Deshpande, renowned economist and former Director of Institute of Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore and Shukla Bose, founder Parikrama Humanity Foundation. Also present were M. Sri Bharat, President, GITAM (Deemed to be University), M S Mohan Kumar, Pro Vice-Chancellor, GITAM Bengaluru and Prof. V. Nagendra, Director GSHS.
The GSHS Bengaluru will be an addition to the three existing Schools of Technology, Business and Science. The Bengaluru campus was established in 2012 near the IT hub of the city. This is the third campus after Vizag and Hyderabad. GSHS offers Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and PhD programmes in Economics, English, Political Science and Psychology. It also offers Minors in Sociology, History, Dance and Music.
Speaking at the inauguration, Syed Kirmani addressed on the topic of ‘Youth and Sports – Importance of Character, Discipline and Dedication.’ Kirmani recollected his experiences as a professional sportsman and how character, discipline and dedication held him in good stead. Audience was all ears to hear some anecdotes from the successful 1983 World Cup outing. Joining Kirmani was Prof. R S Deshpande, who spoke on ‘Relevance of humanities in contemporary times and their importance in addressing societal complexities.’ Deshpande touched upon the core objective of studying humanities and social sciences in the present context. Shukla Bose added to the conversation and spoke about ‘Society, Deprivation and Empowerment through Education.’ She said, “I would first love to congratulate GITAM university, for taking this bold, innovate step of introducing a humanities section, in a large, traditional engineering college. All of you here, who aspire to be engineers, will be even better engineers if you’re in touch with humanities and the social sciences.”
Talking about the mission and vision, M. Sri Bharat, President, GITAM (Deemed to be University), said, “Philanthropy, Philosophy and Ethics are ingrained in the GITAM School of Humanities and Social Sciences (GSHS). The inclusive environment of GITAM instils togetherness among the stakeholders – students, teachers, and other service providers.”
M S Mohan Kumar, Pro Vice-Chancellor, GITAM Bengaluru added, “The multidisciplinary university system that combines human with artificial intelligence develops a learning environment. Combining knowledge systems provides a solid foundation to face future challenges and complexities. A proper mentoring system and Venture Development Centre help students till they graduate and beyond.”
Highlighting about the courses, Prof. V. Nagendra, Director GSHS said, “The programmes aim to equip students with the core knowledge, employability skills, and a multidisciplinary perspective relevant to job and research as well as creative work. The GSHS B.A. programmes are structured to encourage qualitative dialogue and debates for adequate comprehension, communication, and collaboration. Firmly based on the core values of liberal arts, the courses combine critical thinking and problem-solving approaches with strong disciplinary foundations.”
The cafeteria system allows the students to tailor the programme as per their requirements. The student can choose either a three-year Major program or a four-year Honours programme—the B.A. Honors programme provides a robust research foundation with advanced courses and dissertation writing. To broaden the career options, the GSHS ecosystem encourages the students to choose a Minor from other areas.