Strengthening and Promoting EU Studies Across India (SAPHIRE)
Education and culture are inseparable as they are two sides of the same coin, if education refers to the holistic development of students with special emphasis on development of full creative potential; culture is ingrained much deeper and covers broader aspects of human behavior. In the current hyper connected global world, understanding other culture and people around the world is one of the best possible ways to expand our knowledge and strengthen cultural and economic relations. Education is one of the important tool in fulfilling this desire and it will help in gaining empathy that can make a person more inclined towards contributing to society in a more meaningful way.
Target Groups
- Institutions established in countries not covered by Jean Monnet activities
- Institutions or academics not yet in receipt of Jean Monnet funding
- Specific EU related subjects in studies which have limited exposure to but are increasingly affected by European aspects
- Students – all fields
- Teachers – all fields
- Groups – dealing with European aspects
Participants of SAPHIRE

Dr. Preeti D Das
Associate Professor
Dr. Preeti D. Das is Associate Professor at the Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies, JNU. She has also taught at Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University India, and taught Russian Language and Literature with focus on Eurasian and Russian literature. Dr. Das holds a five-year integrated post-graduation from Simferopol State University, Simferopol, Crimea and doctorate degree from, Jawaharlal Nehru University on Motif and Structure of Tales: a comparison of Indian and Asian tales.

Prof. Bhaswati Sarkar
Professor
Professor Bhaswati Sarkar of the Centre for European Studies (CES), School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, India has been awarded prestigious Jean Monnet Chair in Democracy, Diversity and European Identity in the European Union. In the Centre for European Studies she is currently offering a course on Identity Issues in Europe. She is also coordinating and teaching the Research Methodology course in the Centre being taught by all faculty members.

Prof. Sanjay Deshpande
Professor
Prof. Sanjay Deshpande has done his Master’s and Ph.D. from Peoples Friendship University, Moscow, Russia. Currently he is the Director of Centre for Central Eurasian Studies, university of Mumbai and also Head, Department of Russian, University of Mumbai. He is one of the well-known scholars on Soviet/Russian/Central Asian domestic affairs, foreign policy of Eurasian states, geo-politics in Eurasia. Dr. Deshpande lived in Russia for nearly a decade and also personally experienced the catastrophic period of Soviet disintegration in 1991 during his stay. Having research acquaintance on Russian affairs Dr. Deshpande is constantly interview on Indo-Russian affairs and other issues related to international relations in general and Eurasian affairs in particular.

Dr. Michaela Moravčíková
Researcher and Lecturer
Dr. Michaela Moravčíková is a researcher and lecturer at the Law Faculty in Trnava University (Slovak Republic), director of the Institute for Legal Aspects of Religious Freedom. In her research, she focuses on issues of religious freedom, the relationship of society and religion, the relationship of the State and churches and religious societies and State neutrality. She is an author of the following monographs: Human Rights, Culture and Religion; Church and Human Rigts; Caesar’s to Caesar – Economic Support of Churches and Religious Societies, and more than two hundred other works.

Prof. Rajeev Kumar
Professor
Prof. Rajeev Kumar is the Head of the Department of Political Science, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, Bihar. He has a wide range of research experience in number of fields. He has completed various projects as a project Director funded by institutions like UGC, ICSSR and NGOs. He is having 6 books published as single author and more than 15 other publications to his credit. He is also working as the Chief Editor of Scopus Indexed Journal.

Dr. Kumar Kaustubh
Senior Producer
Ph.D. on Media and Discourses on Terrorism in Russia (1999-2006) from CR&CAS, JNU and PG Diploma in Journalism from IIMC and MJMC from HP University, Shimla. he has 20+ years practice in electronic media. He has written and edited several books on media and his several research papers on different issues of media and Russian affairs published. he was Invited as speaker and papers presented in international and national seminars and symposia. Translated an anthology of AS Pushkin`s poetry from Russian to Hindi.

Ms. Sona Singh
Research Scholar
Sona Singh is pursuing her PhD from the Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies, JNU, New Delhi. She also holds a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi and has worked as a journalist at the Indian Express newspaper. Later, she taught in Delhi University. She has also written articles for magazines like the Civil Services Chronicle. A popular article titled “A whiff of ittar” was published on the website of the Museum of Material Memory, a digital repository of material culture of the Indian subcontinent, tracing family histories and social ethnography through heirlooms, collectibles and objects of antiquity.

Ms. Nisha Sharma
Research Scholar
Nisha Sharma is currently pursuing her PhD. in CRCAS/SIS, from JNU, New Delhi. She has worked as Associate Language Editor- Hindi, in SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd in 2018. In 2019, she went for a field visit in Russia, Moscow, recommended by Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) for data collection. She has translated some of academic books from English to Hindi.

Mr. T Suresh Kumar
Research Scholar
T Suresh Kumar is currently pursuing his PhD from the Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies, JNU, New Delhi. He holds his Master degree in Sociology from JNU. At present his research is being carried out on the process of Modernization in both Soviet and post-Soviet Russia. In 2019, he was awarded by Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) to visit Moscow State University and Moscow State Library for the data collection related to his PhD work. During his visit to Moscow, he had also presented a paper titled “Culture, Identity and Modernization in post-Colonial India”, in Moscow State Linguistic University.

Ms. Khaling Ngamphundar
Research Scholar
Khaling Ngamphundar, a Ph.D Research Fellow at the Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She holds her Master degree in Sociology from JNU. At present she is conducting her research on issues related to Labour Migration and Human Trafficking in Baltic States.

Mr. Ajay Kumar Samantray
Research Scholar
Ajaya K.Samantray, a Research Fellow at the Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. At present he is doing his Ph.D under the supervision of Dr.Preeti D Das. He worked on certain areas like Russia- Ukraine conflict over Crimea, energy security in Russia and central Asia. He holds his Masters of Philosophy from JNU. His research interests includes: geopolitical issues, foreign policy and strategic dimensions focus on Russia, central Asia and India and also interested in multilateral organizations like BRICS, EU, SCO. He holds a Master’s Degree in Politics and International studies from Pondicherry Central University and Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Odisha, India.

Ms. Datngenlut Suchiang
Research Scholar
Datngenlut Suchiang is currently pursuing her MPhil in the Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies (CRCAS) at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Her academic interests lie in the socio-political and cultural issues of Russia and the CIS region. She has done her Bachelor’s in Political Science from Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi and completed her Master’s in Politics with Specialization in International Relations (PISM) at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
You are a student, want to be an intern with us?
We welcome research articles, commentaries, perspectives and views, book reviews on developments related to Europe and European Union.
Contact Us: jeanmonnettsaphire@gmail.com