Strengthened connections with the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Long standing partnership 

Our Institute of Advanced Study (IAS) has long-standing connections with the Memory Studies group at IIT Madras.  

Co-Director of the IAS and Professor in the Department of Anthropology, Professor Nayanika Mookherjee has longstanding links with IIT Madras and gave a joint public lecture in August 2018 on Ethnographic Futures to mark the founding of the Centre and Network for Memory Studies in the Department of Humanities. She was also invited to be on the Advisory Board of the Centre for Memory Studies in 2018.  

In October 2022, Professor Mookherjee visited IIT Madras to present a joint lecture titled: Rethinking transnational adoption and its parallels through affective memory and digitality and explore synergies relating to her research on adoption. 

This connection has led to the initiation, materialisation and further collaborations in Psychology, English Studies, and Anthropology through an IAS sponsored major project – Memory - led by IAS Director Professor Alex Easton. To celebrate this connection formally, Professor Easton and Professor Robert Lynes (Pro Vice Chancellor Global, Durham University) visited IIT Madras in February 2023. Professor Easton jointly presented a lecture on Episodic Memory, organised in association with the Office of Global Engagement at IIT Madras. 

Looking ahead 

The partnership also presents opportunities to build on connections and expand on the expertise within our Departments of Anthropology, English, Psychology, Engineering and Computer Science. In addition, the partnership also offers opportunities for student exchange, collaborations and research fellowships. 

For example, IAS has awarded a 2023/24 Fellowship to Dr Parui from IIT Madras, IAS is consulting with IIT Madras on the development of an IAS project app and collaborative discussion is being undertaken with the Centre for Memory Studies on other potential IAS projects.