Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies, Prayagraj

The Visiting Scholar Programme at the Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies offers an intellectually vibrant and interdisciplinary environment for academics and practitioners seeking to pursue advanced research within a supportive and critically engaged scholarly community. Designed to nurture rigorous inquiry and innovation, the programme facilitates access to the Institute’s state-of-the-art research infrastructure, including its specialised archives, digital databases, and curated collections pertaining to South Asia.

Visiting Scholars are encouraged to actively contribute to the Institute’s academic life by participating in public lectures, faculty seminars, and collaborative workshops. These inter-institutional engagements are intended to promote cross-disciplinary dialogue and foster a deeper understanding of contemporary challenges facing South Asia. Through their involvement, scholars will play a critical role in enriching the Institute’s mission to generate transformative knowledge in fields such as sustainable development, cultural and historical preservation, democratic resilience, religious pluralism, and human rights.

This programme represents a rare opportunity to refine and extend one’s research agenda in a focused and stimulating setting, while simultaneously cultivating professional networks that span academia, policy, and civil society. Priority will be given to applicants whose research proposals demonstrate clear resonance with the Institute’s core thematic areas.

Key Information

• Application Deadline: 30 November 2024
• Programme Commencement: Spring or Autumn 2025 (flexible by mutual agreement)
• Eligibility: Applicants must demonstrate a strong record of publication or significant applied work in South Asian Studies or a closely related discipline. A well-articulated research agenda that aligns with the Institute’s strategic priorities is essential.

Programme Benefits

• Formal affiliation with one of South Asia’s leading interdisciplinary research centres
• Dedicated office space and full access to on-site research facilities and collections
• Opportunity to publish in the Institute’s Working Paper Series and Policy Briefs
• Invitations to present at Institute-hosted workshops and regional academic forums
• Mentorship and editorial support aimed at facilitating high-impact scholarly and policy-oriented publications

Why Collaborate with the Sundar Singh Institute?

Becoming a Visiting Scholar at the Sundar Singh Institute is more than a professional designation—it is an invitation to join a collective intellectual enterprise committed to justice, sustainability, and peace in South Asia. Our academic community comprises a diverse fellowship of researchers, policy thinkers, and public theologians working at the nexus of scholarship and societal transformation.

Rather than pursuing isolated projects, Visiting Scholars are expected to contribute meaningfully to the Institute’s evolving academic ecosystem—one that values scholarly rigour as much as real-world relevance. This environment is intentionally curated to catalyse research that transcends disciplinary boundaries and informs both policy frameworks and grassroots practice.

We invite you to regard this Institute not simply as a place of study, but as a home for ethically grounded scholarship—a space in which ideas flourish, collaborations deepen, and research aspires toward enduring social impact.

The South Asia Policy Fellowship is a prestigious 12-month academic programme for early career researchers and practitioners dedicated to producing impactful, policy-relevant research in the South Asian region. The Fellowship is administratively located at the Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies, and is a programmatic initiative that provides exposure to, and interaction with, an intellectually lively and interdisciplinary research community focused on the four pillars of democratic governance; sustainable, inclusive economic growth and development; regional security; and climate change adaptation.

Participants will be integrated into the academic and policy life of the Institute, which will include participation in independent and directed research agendas aligned with the Institute’s goals. Participants will participate in high-level policy dialogues, academic roundtables, and strategic briefings. Participants will co-write policy briefs and academic articles that the Institute may publish as part of its sanctioned research output.

Participant, including research, responsibilities are that participants have privileged access to the Institute’s vast sovereign and rights-based scholarly resources, in person and online, and receive close academic mentoring from world-leading researchers in South Asian studies, public policy, ethics, and international affairs. The Fellowship seeks to select individuals who illustrate both academic excellence and a principled commitment to public service, critical ethical reflection, and evidence-based policymaking.

Eligibility and Terms

Application Deadline: 15 March 2026

Eligibility: Applicants must hold a completed Master’s degree or terminal qualification in a relevant discipline. Will consider strong applicants with relevant professional or lived experience in lieu of formal academic qualifications. Prior experience working on South Asian policy research and development is strongly preferred.

Compensation: In addition to a monthly stipend, fellows receive full access to the Institute’s physical and digital research infrastructure and are given opportunities to participate in both international workshops and public events.

Location: Although research can be conducted flexibly, fellows are expected to engage regularly with the work of the Institute’s programmes and events.

Why Join the Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies?

Convergence of Research and Impact

Fellows join a vibrant cohort of global scholars and practitioners looking to advance research that connects with lived experiences of South Asia. The Institute seeks to build an ecosystem in which critical inquiry, innovation in policy, and ethical engagement meet.

Policy Relevant Research with Global Impact

Fellowship projects will be directed at influencing local policy and international conversations. Research outputs may engage institutional partners, civil society actors, and public agencies across South Asia and beyond.

Professional Development through Mentorship

Each Fellow will be paired with a senior academic mentor with whom they will receive sustained support and feedback for their intellectual work and professional development. This relational approach maintains alignment between the research a Fellow is conducting as well as the overall objectives of the Institute.

Location for Academic and Public Exchange

Fellows will publish peer-reviewed publications, some will write policy white papers for their regional constituencies while others will provide input to international consultations, not as a place for their research, but place for it to modify conversations among in the academy, policy, and civil society.

Whether someone is seeking to build a career at the intersection of scholarship and policy, or further an already distinguished professional existence, the South Asia Policy Fellowship is an opportunity to become something transformative.

Through the depth of engagement with the Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies, fellows will make measurable contributions toward the building the future of South Asia, whilst maintaining the rigour of academia and ethics in their work.