India’s first Medical Humanities Laboratory at Bennett University – Times of India

NEW DELHI: In its efforts to create a global research platform to mitigate health risks and enhance well-being measures, Bennett University’s School of Liberal Arts launched India’s first-ever ‘Medical Humanities Laboratory‘ on May 26, 2023 at Magnolia, India Habitat Centre in Delhi.
The inaugural ceremony was graced by eminent international guests from reputed institutes, professor Sangeetha Menon, dean, School of Humanities NIAS, IISC Bangalore, Dr Angeliki Kerasidou, associate professor, Bioethics, University of Oxford (UK), professor Dhananjay Singh (Member secretary, Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi), and Dr Stella Bolaki, reader, American Literature & Medical Humanities, University of Kent (UK).
Other core members of the Medical Humanities lab include, professor Clare Barker, associate professor, English Literature (Medical Humanities), University of Leeds (UK), Dr Eram Alam, assistant professor, Department of the History of Science, Harvard University (USA), Dr Jacob Stegenga, professor, Department of History & Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge (UK), Dr Janet M. Wilson (D Phil Oxon) Emerita Professor, English & Postcolonial Studies, University of Northampton (UK), professor Sebastian Groes, English Literature, University of Wolverhampton (UK), and Dr Tamara L. Falicov, inaugural Dean of the UMKC School of Humanities and Social Sciences (USA). The team members will collaborate to start new projects soon.
This pioneering endeavour intents to embark upon a new era of healthcare in India, one that embraces the fusion of science, compassion, and the power of human expression. The Medical Humanities laboratory seeks to provide a research platform, bringing together humanities and medical sciences scholars, health professionals and health sectors to resolve the pressing concerns that face medical organizations today.
Drawing ideas, methods and frameworks from literature, philosophy, ethics, arts, music and theology that forms the base of humanities and other social sciences areas of psychology and sociology, the laboratory will analyze problems pertaining to health and illness that pervade modern societies, albeit in different manifestations.
With an aim to make Bennett University an education destination of choice at par with the best in the world, chancellor Vineet Jain, said, “This is a milestone moment for Bennett University – India’s first, and one of a kind, Medical Humanities Laboratory. To generate new global perspectives on medicine, healthcare and well-being, the Medical Humanities Laboratory envisions making a global impact by humanizing the medical profession and redefining liberal arts education at the national as well as international level. The Laboratory will adopt an interventionist approach by combining arts and social sciences to reimagine health challenges and human experiences.”
As India’s unique and first medical humanities lab, it will provide a platform for students, faculty and healthcare professionals to collaborate and generate innovative solutions to complex healthcare challenges. It offers students at BU an edge over others by making them understand the importance of the integral education model and opening wide array of professions such as Wellness Director, Healthcare Administrator, Community Services Management, Healthcare educator/researcher, Healthcare Consultancy, and Occupational therapy.
This initiative aims to position School of Liberal Arts as a global leader in healthcare studies in India. It will also facilitate collaborations with healthcare institutions and professionals, enhancing the university’s impact on the healthcare landscape.
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