Department of Liberal Arts, Humanities, And Social Sciences – MAHE, Bengaluru And LabourNet Services To Foster Future Workplace Leaders

In a significant move set to redefine the traditional boundaries of humanities education, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Bengaluru, and its distinguished Department of Liberal Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (DLHS), announce a transformative partnership with LabourNet Services India Pvt. Ltd., under their CLARE - Centre for LabourNet’s Academic Research Endeavour initiative. 

The official ceremony for this pioneering collaboration took place on February 6th, 2024 (Tuesday) at MAHE, Bengaluru Campus, where Dr. Shilpa Kalyan, Head of DLHS, and Dr. Gayathri Vasudevan, Chairperson, LabourNet Services India Pvt. Ltd. signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Mr. Siddharth Srinivasan, Consultant, LabourNet Services India Pvt. Ltd., the faculty members and student representatives of DLHS were also witness to the beginning of this momentous collaboration. 

Centre for LabourNet’s Academic Research Endeavour (CLARE), is LabourNet’s knowledge wing that offers experiential learning and hands-on training to university students to understand subject problems and implement solutions.  LabourNet’s Capstone Project is a landmark initiative by CLARE to build lasting relationships between academia and the industry in real time. It is a programme that enables students to gain valuable insights from the world of work and apply their learning to solving current business challenges.

Extending Education Beyond Boundaries: Key Highlights of the Collaboration 

Engaging with Real World Problems: Students of DLHS, MAHE, Bengaluru will embark on the challenge of solving real-world problems in a workplace setting. LabourNet extends its support by providing a platform for experiential learning through practice-based live projects that promise a transformative educational experience. 

Promoting Interdisciplinary Application: This collaboration facilitates a fruitful engagement between academia and the development sector. Going beyond theoretical learning, it enables interdisciplinary thinking and practice, thereby equipping graduates to test out their innovative ideas and strategies. 

Mentorship by Seasoned Professionals: LabourNet with its pool of experts provides intensive one-on-one mentorship for students throughout the process of completing their capstone projects. From designing data collection tools and formulating policy suggestions to crafting media campaigns, the mentors will handhold students besides offering masterclasses in essential job-related skills.  

Excited about the partnership, Dr. Shilpa Kalyan, Head of DLHS, said, "The collaboration between LabourNet and DLHS represents a strong coalition committed to creating sustainable lives. Within academia, we understand that tackling societal issues necessitates a multidisciplinary approach, and our partnership is evidence of the significant influence the humanities can have on promoting social responsibility, empathy, and long-lasting change”.

The collaboration will facilitate capstone projects, a mandatory requirement in the curriculum, for postgraduate students from 2023-24 and for undergraduate students from 2024-25 onwards. These projects, custom-designed for students of humanities and social sciences, will give students a chance to work on high-impact interventions in a purpose-led and performance-driven organizational setting. 

About DLHS, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Bengaluru: 

The Department of Liberal Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (DLHS) is a constituent unit of the Bengaluru campus of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), an Institution of Eminence recognised by the UGC and ranked among the top universities of the world. The department offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in specialisations such as English, Media, Psychology and Social Sciences. Apart from discipline-specific education, students also receive training in thinking across disciplines and applying their knowledge in workplaces and the larger social sphere. The programmes also provide a solid foundation to equip future leaders, researchers, thinkers, and innovators.  

About LabourNet:

LabourNet is a full-service blue/grey collar workforce solutions provider that links worker skill development and earnings growth with business performance and corporate gains. Centre for LabourNet’s Academic Research Endeavour (CLARE) provides practice-oriented capstone programmes to bridge the gap between industry and academia. It is an immersive educational programme offering hands-on fieldwork experiences to university students, thereby fostering practical skills, reflective thinking, and cross-cultural competence in themes related to sustainable development and the informal economy. Visit www.labournet.in