UPCOMING lecture......

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COMPLETED

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Title:  Generative AI and the Future of Qualitative Research: Opportunities, Tensions, and Ethical Concerns

Speaker:  Piyush Gotise, PhD

Session chair: Tithi Bhatnagar, PhD

Date and Time: August 2, 2025, 5:00 pm IST

Venue: Online

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About the speaker: Dr Piyush Gotise is a consultant, trainer, and researcher in Qualitative

Research Methods and Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software. A PhD in

Management from Barkatullah University, Bhopal, Dr. Gotise did Postdoc from IIM Rohtak. He

has trained researchers globally on qualitative research methods. He has published in journals

indexed in ABDC A, ABDC B, ABS, SSCI, and Scopus. His current research interests include

Generative AI, qualitative research methods, well-being, positive organisational behaviour, and

positive psychology.

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About the topic: The recent explosion of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools—such as ChatGPT, and Gemini has significantly expanded the methodological landscape for qualitative researchers. As these technologies evolve from niche tools to widely accessible platforms, early career researchers are increasingly encountering them not just as curiosities, but as potentially transformative aids in research design, data generation, analysis, and dissemination. This lecture would provide an in-depth yet accessible overview of how GenAI is shaping qualitative inquiry and what this means for the next generation of researchers.

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About the chair: Dr. Tithi Bhatnagar is a Psychologist by training, a Well-being and Happiness Researcher and Teacher by profession, and a certified Positive Psychology Coach by Practice (trained with Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener, USA).. A PhD from IIT Bombay, currently she is visiting professor, Ashoka University. Dr. Bhatnagar is the author of “Subjective Well-Being in the Indian Context: Concept, Measure, and Index”, Springer Nature, Singapore.

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 Title: Social Harm reduction for The Marginalized: The Grand Challenge of ICT use In HIV Care in India. 

​Speaker: Carolyn Kavita Tauro

Session chair: Prof. Atanu Sengupta

Venue: Online

About the speaker: Carolyn is a post-doctoral fellow at the International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore. She has a doctoral degree in Information Systems from the University of Oslo (Norway), a Master’s degree in Public Health from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Mumbai) and a M.B.B.S. degree from Nepal.  Prior to joining academia, Carolyn served as a Health Information Systems Medical Content Advisor with  Doctors Without Borders UK​

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About the topic: Social harm reduction for marginalized groups such as persons who use drugs (PWUDs) remains a pressing challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where complex societal barriers persist. This issue is a grand challenge requiring multi-level, interdisciplinary responses. Digital technologies and information systems hold potential to support person-centred harm reduction care, yet they may also reinforce stigma, gender discrimination, and violence. By applying a grand challenge framework, this work explores how ICT4D can address these issues, emphasizing ethical responsibility and the need for inclusive digital solutions that amplify marginalized voices and promote social equity.

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About the chair: Prof. Atanu Sengupta is presently Professor of Economics, Burdwan University, West Bengal. A Ph.D. from Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, he taught at Vidyasagar University also. He has held senior positions in various academic institutions and has many peer reviewed publications to his credit. Prof. Sengupta has supervised more than ten PhD theses.

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 Title:  The Tales of BanaBibi in Sundarbans: An Intersectional Study of Gender, Caste 

and Syncretic Culture of Bengal and Its Implication for Climate Humanism.

Syncretic Culture of Bengal and Its Implication for Climate Humanism.

​Speaker:  Toushali Raina

Session chair: Prof. K. Sivasubramaniyan

Venue: Online

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​About the speaker: Toushali Raina teaches Political Science at Asutosh College, Kolkata. She has

submitted her thesis under PhD programme at the Presidency University, Kolkata. She did M.Phil. from

the Institute of Development Studies Kolkata (IDSK) after completing her M.A. from Jadavpur University.

Her academic interests include Indian politics, gender, caste, and Indian political thought.

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About the topic: Beyond its ecological significance, the Sundarbans is steeped in cultural narratives, notably the legends of Bonbibi, which has historically guided local communities in harmonizing their lives and livelihoods with nature. In the face of climate change and cultural erosion, the tales and rituals of Banabibi seek to intertwine cultural preservation with environmental conservation. This paper delves into the multifaceted dimensions of the Banabibi tales, examining how they reflect and resist the socio-political structures of caste and gender in the Sundarbans.

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About the chair: Prof. K. Sivasubramaniyan is retired Professor of Economics from Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai. Currently he is  serving as the Professor of Economics at St Peter's Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai.