Critical Edge Alliance
Tata Institute of Social Sciences,
India
Since its establishment, the vision of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has been to be an institution of excellence in higher education, that continually responds to changing social realities through the development and application of knowledge, towards creating a people-centered, ecologically sustainable and just society, that promotes and protects dignity, equality, social justice and human rights for all.
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Founded in 1936, as a community-engaged social science university, TISS has evolved as an educational ecosystem where students learn to ideate, innovate and translate what they learn for bringing about change in society. Classroom learning is blended with exposure to the field, communities, institutions, and corporate houses. Courses and programmes are developed to address societal and national level challenges and faculty and students co-create model field action projects for bringing people-centred solutions to social problems.
TISS occupies a unique position among institutions of higher learning in India with its focus on field work as a method; the social work of TISS is well known across the continent. With 21 schools, multiple research centres and numerous educational programmes,TISS offers three Bachelor's and 51 Master's programmes, 16 M.Phil and 10 Ph.D. programmes, in addition to short-term programmes and diplomas.
Studies include social work, development, women, management and labour, social entrepreneurship, globalisation and labour, health systems, law, rights and constitutional governance, social sciences, rural development, and education.
TISS is engaged in research, policy support, development training, and advice on development interventions with both state and non-state institutions, bilateral and multilateral organisations, universities and networks across the world, and cooperates with the non- governmental sector, private businesses and peoples' groups reaching out to the larger community through extension at the local, national, regional and international levels.
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Through its research in social work, social sciences, human resources management, health systems and related fields, the TISS has made consistent contributions to public sector, civil society and the development sector and helped shape planning, policy and programme formulation, foster critical rethinking and development of people-centred interventions.
The university continues to be involved in critical research in education and literacy, family and children issues, HIV/AIDS, labour law, rural and urban development, displacement and migration, globalisation, youth and human development, and the rights of Dalits, indigenous peoples, minorities and other marginalised groups,
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