National Institute of Advanced Studies Key Issues and
Operational Areas, Major Activiities & Achivements
Operational Districts: Bangalore
Operational States: KARNATAKA
AchieveMents: The National Institute of Advanced Studies was registered on June 20, 1988 as a Society under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act with the formal dual objectives of imparting higher knowledge and conducting research. Higher knowledge was to be imparted by programmes of varying duration for executives and professionals to broaden their cultural and academic background for the successful performance of their duties." Research was to be conducted by groups on problems relating to the development of the country and which require immediate study and resolution." The approach was also specified: to cooperate with other Organisations and contribute to knowledge at an inter-disciplinary level" (emphases in the original Memorandum of Association).
NIAS is involved in four areas of activities such as research, analysis, publications and education. It acts as a platform for advanced research in the disciplines of sciences, arts, and humanities. The research findings are compiled and disseminated through printed literature, personal interactions, lectures and conferences. The centre works as a forum for the social and political leaders and academics to interact with each other for interdisciplinary exchange of knowledge and information. NIAS has a flagship programme on Leadership Development for Senior Executives. The first of these programmes, which was held in 1991, was called the Integrated Approach to Knowledge. The basic template of the Senior Executive Programmes (now in its 30th incarnation) has been retained in the other post-employment training programmes run annually by NIAS, for example those for senior scientists and science administrators, including for Directors of National Laboratories, sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India since 2005. These programmes continue to provide interactive discussions with distinguished persons on society, arts, history, music, literature, in addition to science and technology. NIAS also started PhD programmes in 2004.
The academic activities of the institute are segmented to fall under four schools. School of Humanities is a centre for advanced research in the disciplines of philosophy, psychology, literature, fine arts and culture. The school offers research facilities in: Philosophical foundations of sciences, Cognitive sciences, Scientific and philosophical studies of consciousness, Indian psychology and philosophy, History and philosophy of biology, and Archaeometalurgy and analysis of ancient metals. School of Social Sciences is a research platform but is also engaged in teaching, outreach, advocacy and consultancy. It undertakes research cum outreach projects in the areas of education, gender, governance and development. It has interests in the topics of globalization and economic sociology and organizations. School of Natural Sciences and Engineering is the division which focuses on engineering, mathematics, agriculture, ecology and conservation biology. Studies are conducted on wildlife conservation and cognitive studies of primates, and interdisciplinary programmes on water, energy. Researches are carried out also on signal processing, number theory, artificial intelligence, soft computing, language engineering and mathematical modelling of complex chaotic systems. School of conflict and security studies does policy research on internal, national, and international conflict and security issues.
