Dr. Sudhakar Rao Sir Delivered Inaugural Address at the “8th Social Science Research Colloquium 2026”, hosted by SCMS-COCHIN, this morning 😊
Sir began with a familiar Indian scene. Standing on a railway platform, we often wait until the train starts moving to say our real goodbyes. So Sir chose to thank the Trustees, organizers, young scholars and student coordinators before the train began to move; not as a hurried note of gratitude at the end, but as a conscious reminder of what social science itself must do: say the important things while there is still time.
Sharing a few key reflections from the address:
1. We postpone meaning until urgency forces it.
As individuals and as societies, we act only when crisis strikes. Social science must help us reflect before breakdowns occur.
2. Presence is not permanence.
We assume institutions and systems will endure, until they don’t. Much research begins too late, after erosion has already begun.
3. Our cognitive biases shape collective delay.
Temporal discounting and normalcy bias explain why societies choose short-term comfort over long-term well-being. And immediate economic growth over future environmental sustainability.
4. The 21st century has changed the context, not the core question.
Amid AI, climate change, and polarization, we must still ask: Are we understanding society or only describing it more elegantly?
5. Social science was born with a moral purpose.
To inform governance, reduce inequality, and strengthen democracy, not to become method-driven or citation-driven.
6. We are at a new inflection point.
From observing → measuring → theorizing → modelling → and now, relearning society.
7. Methods are powerful and seductive.
Data without context misleads. Models without theory distort. Precision without purpose trivializes.
8. The metric culture is reshaping scholarship.
Visibility is often rewarded more than value,
and fashion more than foundational questions.
9. A serious relevance gap has emerged.
Between research and policy. Between evidence and action. Between academia and society.
10. The social scientist’s role is changing.
From paper producer to interpreter of complexity,
from specialist to bridge-builder, from observer to ethical steward.
Sir closed by returning to the same platform:
Social science exists so that we don’t have to wait for the train to start moving, to say the important things while there is still time.
Grateful to Dr. Indu Nair, Scms Business School for inviting me as Chief Guest, and to the young scholars whose work suggests that the next phase of social science can be both rigorous and deeply relevant.
Summary: Correct me @Sudhakar Rao ICFAI Director Sir in case something is incorrect: From the Intro: Write, Write better. Think further, have an open mind.
Sudhakar Sir covered, Social science Trajectory.
What do we do? We wait till whistle blow, engine begin moving, and the moment become urgent.
Why do we do it? We delay until urgency forces, and we confuse presence with performance.
We don’t see urgency until things go hay way because of temporal discounting and normalcy bias.
What is needed is a shift from reactive behaviour to reflective behaviour and crises driven meaning to conscious meaning.
We need not wait for the train to start moving, but we need to say important things while there is still time.
What we produce should be relevant and not abstract. Avoid contextual blindspots.
We need to ensure integrity and ethics in the age of data, devoid of shortcuts.
The way forward is impact oriented but intellectually independent.
Collective gain is important than individual gain. A new trajectory is the relearning society. Conscious and not crises driven.
Conclusion by Deepankar Sir: Pledge to avoid plagiarism, and not to resort to junkification and unethical means.
Thank you for extending the invite and for a great day today!
Thanks to Shane for taking us to Fort Kochi after the event.
No comments:
Post a Comment