Invited as an Erudite Scholar by the Kerala Governemtn, 2016

 Professor Rekha Pande, Head Department of History and Joint Faculty, Centre for Women’s Studies was invited as an Erudite Scholar by the Kerala Government for Gender sensitization and research on Gender issues.The Erudite is one of the innovative concepts undertaken by the State Government of Kerala to rejuvenate the field of higher education in the state and to strengthen research activities of various Universities of Kerala. Envisaged by the Kerala Higher Education Council, it receives special attention from the State Ministry of Education. Eminent academicians from India and abroad are invited to different State Universities under the programme. Erudite, the scholars-in-residence programme is successful in bringing in many renowned academics from within the country and abroad to the universities here in the first phase.

The project aims at providing the teachers and students an opportunity to interact with eminent academicians including Nobel laureates. Education Minister M.A. Baby, informed that about 35 renowned academicians from the country and abroad have been invited in the first phase of the programme. Elaborating on the objectives of the Erudite programme, the Minister said eminent academicians including Nobel laureates will be invited to spend not less than one week in a university department, where they are intended to deliver lectures on topics of their expertise and to interact with the students, both research scholars and postgraduates. The government had sanctioned Rs.7 crore for implementation of the programme, he said.

The programme is strictly residential in character, with the universities providing all facilities required for the visiting scholars. The programme is not conducted in a seminar/conference/workshop model, and it will provide students, researchers and faculty members the opportunity to get in-depth knowledge on areas of the scholars’ expertise. Erudite is intended to provide the students and teachers exposure to thought-provoking lectures. As an Erudite Scholar, Professor Rekha Pande was attached to the Cochin University of Science and Technology ( CUSET) and interacted with students and faculty on various gender issues and had a series of discussions and lectures. Some of the areas that she highlighted included, need for gender sensitization, gender violence, Women’s Movement in India and abroad, sexual harassment at the work place, feminist research methodologies and the aims and objectives of feminist research.