Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
The Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIST encompasses the disciplines of Economics, English, Management, and Sociology, and plays a distinctive role in advancing the Institute's vision of holistic science and technology education. The Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIST places strong emphasis on enhancing students' communication and management skills, recognizing their critical importance in both academic and professional contexts. The Department also contributes significantly to the teaching and research in Economics and Sociology, with a growing focus on the emerging area of Space Economics, Space Policy and addressing the social and economic dimensions of space missions, technologies, and policies. It offers a range of core and elective courses for B.Tech. and M.Tech. programmes, and also runs its own Ph.D. programme. By integrating perspectives from the humanities, social sciences, and management studies, the Department ensures that scientific and technological pursuits are grounded in ethical, social, and humanistic awareness.
Doctoral Programme of Department
The Ph.D. programme in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIST is primarily discipline-oriented and is offered in four core areas: Economics, English, Management, and Sociology, along with related fields such as Cultural Studies, Space Economics, Gender Studies, Supply Chain Management, Food Studies, Tribal Studies etc. The programme also encourages research in interdisciplinary areas that intersect with these disciplines. At present, 30 research scholars are enrolled in the programme, which includes 20 regular candidates and 10 ISRO-sponsored scholars.
Since its inception in 2010, the Department has awarded Ph.D. degrees to 15 scholars, many of whom have gone on to build successful academic and professional careers. They are currently serving in reputed institutions such as NIT Trichy, VIT Vellore, IIITM Kottayam as well as various government colleges, universities, and schools while some are pursuing their post-doctoral studies. The alumni of the department have made us proud by establishing themselves as accomplished academicians and professionals in their respective areas of specialization.
Vision of the Department
- To attain excellence in Research, Teaching and Learning with Social Sensitivity
Mission of the Department
- To mould scientists and engineers with a humanitarian concern, management skills and with a sensitivity towards the socio-economic reality of society.
- To support the vision of the institute in providing a holistic education by disseminating ethical education, soft skills, entrepreneurial ability and spirit of innovation.
- To bridge the gap between space technology and socio-economic, cultural & managerial development of the country.
- To foster interdisciplinary collaboration between humanities, social sciences, and management faculty and other science and engineering disciplines