Dey Will be Guest Lecturer in Politics in India Classes at Undergraduate and Graduate Level
This month, the University welcomed a visiting international scholar, Dr. Aditi Dey, from Calcutta, India. Dey will be guest lecturing in the undergraduate course Politics in India, and the graduate course Public Policy in India. She will be at the University until October 9.
Dr. Rekha Datta, professor of political science was the one to nominate to have Dr Dey come to campus. “I have known Dr. Aditi Dey for over three decades. I always knew that she loves teaching and has a wonderful rapport with her students. When I nominated Dr. Dey for the position of Visiting International Scholar, my hope was that she would interact with students, faculty, and campus constituents in such a way that there is a vibrant exchange of ideas and thoughts,” Datta said.
Dey received her Ph.D on Indira Gandhi’s leadership in India’s Democracy at Calcutta University. She has been teaching Politics in India, Public Administration, and Political Theory for 29 years at Shri Shikshyatan College.
Also she is principal of the college, which she explained to be similar to our provost here at the University. As principal of the College, she is in charge of more administrative work, focusing on the improvement of teaching and curricular aspects of the college. At the college, there is a large demand for travel, tourism, and human rights courses from the students who are registered for their three- year undergraduate programs.
As principle, Dey hopes to put an addition on the College, expanding the amount of space on campus to accommodate to more students, which currently has 3,000 students. She also wants to include more courses to the extra-curriculum along with certificate courses that would be more job oriented. In her time as principal the school has had full air conditioning, is Wi-Fi enabled, and is graded with an ‘A’ by the National Assessment Accreditation Council.
Students traveling with Datta over winter break to India will have the chance to see Dey’s campus and interact with her students.
Dey is a published scholarly author, with publication in the Politics in India text book which has been updated three times now. In the text book, she wrote about the complex party system which India has grown into over the years. Also, she recently wrote on Democratic Governance in West Bengal which will be released in six months.
At the University, Dey has been enjoying her time spent with students and faculty in the Political Science Department.
Dey said, “I came here to lecture on political contemporary India along with Dr. Datta who is giving the course for the first time. I have already taught two classes on the Indian national political system and have thoroughly enjoyed the lecture discussions and interactions with students.”
Katrina Boyle, junior political science major, a student who sat through one of Dey’s lectures said, “Since Dr. Dey lives in India, it has been so interesting to hear what she has to say about its history and politics.”
Datta said, “Dr. Dey has done presentations in classes so far. The time she is spending interacting with students and the campus community in general bears testimony to her love for students, curricular aspects of university teaching and research. She seems at ease at the University as she is on her own college campus.”
“She is also an added resource for students who want to travel abroad, and has provided important insights to students planning to visit India. Reminiscent of de Tocqueville’s observations about American political culture in the 1830s’, as he traveled through the country, Dr. Dey notes that the American spirit of giving and of civic duty has impressed her,” Datta continued.
There have been discussions on how to get students at the University more involved with international activities with Dey’s students in India.
Datta explained, “We are exchanging ideas of starting an ideas exchange program and debate workshops with her students, where our students will debate with hers; and other ways her college and the University can interconnect.”
Datta concluded, “Half way through her stay at Monmouth, she has already connected with students beautifully and has generated an intellectual and cultural excitement about learning more about India, and college life in countries outside of the U.S.”
PHOTO TAKEN by Jessica Roberts
