Message from the Vice-Chancellor

Greetings from Ashoka University. I bring you the good news that exactly two years since campus had to be closed because of the pandemic all our students are back and we have transitioned to in-person classes in classrooms. March is also the time of the festival of colours, Holi, that ushers in Spring. The riot of colours on that day as students, faculty and staff celebrated this festive occasion signaled hope for a return to the vibrancy of a pre-COVID Ashoka campus.

In this edition I want to highlight the work done by two of our Centres at Ashoka. The first, CEDA, is already well-established and recognized. The second, ACT, is a newly established Translation Centre. Their vision and energy are indicative of the diverse areas of interest at Ashoka.

Ashoka University has been mindful of Sustainability in its full spectrum. This newsletter gives a glimpse of that commitment. We are hopeful that our efforts will encourage others. 

Prof. Malabika Sarkar

Vice-Chancellor | Professor of English,

Ashoka University

Centre for Economic Data & Analysis

The Economics Department of Ashoka University has set up the Centre for Economic Data and Analysis (CEDA) with the primary aim of facilitating informed debate about economic and social developments in India. The CEDA data portal aims to be a comprehensive repository of various socio-economic indicators gleaned from official databases, surveys and administrative data pertaining to the Indian economy. Our user-driven and unique data portal provide users the ability to generate and download their own visualisations (heatmaps, bar charts, graphs etc) and tables across a broad range of social, demographic and economic indicators. We provide the user tools to analyse and correlate different sets of variables across geographies (at the national, state and district levels), time and across different datasets.

Ashoka Centre for Translation

The Ashoka Centre for Translation (ACT) is established with a view to foster, nurture, and foreground India’s multilingual ethos. It hopes to unlock knowledge and aid its dissemination through translation. Given the urgency to make knowledge available and democratic, the Centre does not confine itself only to English. In fact, it aims to translate material from many Indian languages into many other Indian languages, including English. Thus, the received binaries of (one) source and (one) target do not characterise the aims of the Centre. A range of texts from literary and popular, political and scientific, and oral and written domains—all of these are important to the Centre’s vision. The centre has undertaken as its initial projects the translation of anti-caste writing from Tamil into Indian languages; popular film songs into multiple Indian languages and the translation of Kabir’s poetry across the length and breadth of India.

Re-Purposing Universities for Sustainable Societies: The Integrated Sustainability Model at Ashoka

The United Nations General Assembly’s 17 Goals for Sustainable Development provide focused priorities that we need to work towards for the well-being of the planet and its people. The policy sets out the different pathways in terms of climate, gender, food and water, quality education and many other imperatives that require urgent attention. Ashoka University is conscious of the importance and urgency of these priorities. Our commitment towards sustainability goals is reflected through the work done within academic departments, centres, student clubs and societies as well as by key sectors of the administration. 

In order to reduce its carbon footprint, the university has taken several measures. Energy-efficient buildings, green energy production and consumption, waste and water management, resource conservation and environment-friendly transportation are significant initiatives led by the University. Regular energy audits are conducted and green building consultants have been recruited to emphasise greater environmental sustainability.

Courses taught at Ashoka, such as ‘Agriculture, Food and Sustainability’; ‘Environmental Economics’; ‘Cities, Ecology and Equity’, are closely linked to the concept of sustainability. The University is also making efforts to develop new initiatives and research centres, such as the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability (3CS), to strengthen collaborations, and enhance education, research and awareness on campus.

Through various Ashoka centres (CSIP, CSBC, CSGS, CMGGA), the University carries out social engagement and public participation to entrench sustainable development principles, including social justice, equity, democracy and religious tolerance. Specialised care is provided to students with learning disabilities and mental health issues through special centres such as the Office of Learning Support (OLS) and the Ashoka Centre for Well Being (ACWB). 

We are conscious of the responsibility of preparing our students for a promising social and professional future while ensuring that they, as well as faculty and staff, develop a deep understanding of the importance of a sustainable environment. We are happy to present Ashoka University’s Annual SDG Report, Environment Sustainability Report, Inclusion & Diversity Report, Sustainable Procurement Policy, Investment Policy and Fundraising & Donation Policy.  The University has prioritised certain areas for attention in the first phase. This identification has been driven by the recognition of goals that need immediate attention. Over time more priority areas will emerge.

Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Ashoka University