The recently established Department of Humanities and Social Sciences (DoHSS) at SVNIT, Surat, reflects a strategic initiative to enhance the employability skills of engineering students. This department focuses on improving language proficiency among engineers, recognising the critical role effective communication plays in their professional success.
The department adopts a dual approach, combining academic research with practical skill development. Faculty members, well-versed in linguistics and language pedagogy, engage in research endeavours to improve language skills specifically tailored to the needs of engineers. This research contributes to a newly formed research area that addresses the unique linguistic challenges in the engineering domain. The department also offers foreign language courses to prepare engineering students for a globalized professional environment.
The department's PhD program retains a vital position in the institute's academic structure, providing a distinctive interdisciplinary platform connecting the sciences, technology, and the liberal arts with an intellectually diverse faculty specialising in Linguistics, English Language Teaching, Contemporary Literature, Postcolonial Studies, Diasporic Literature, Cultural Studies, Film Studies, etc. The department fosters critical thinking, ethical reflection, and a socially informed worldview among students across disciplines.
The Department is actively working to establish a state-of-the-art language lab. This facility will serve as a hub for language learning, offering students a technologically advanced environment to hone their communication skills. The lab will feature interactive tools and resources designed to enhance linguistic proficiency and the practical application of language in engineering contexts.
Through its integrated approach to teaching, research, and interdisciplinary engagement, the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences serves as a critical intellectual anchor within the technological ecosystem of the institute. By fostering analytical depth, ethical awareness, and communicative competence, the department not only complements technical education but also prepares students and scholars to navigate and shape the complexities of contemporary society with insight, empathy, and responsibility.
