Welcome to the International Conference 2021 “Beyond Academia: Exploring the Scope of Social Sciences” taking place on 16th July 2021 at GD Goenka University, India. The aim of the conference is to examine the key role that social sciences play in maintaining societal cohesion, stability and in articulating the dynamism of current times. The social sciences engage primarily with the study of society, social relationships and cultural change. As an academic field, they offer a wide range of perspectives that help to identify, articulate, examine and reflect on the dynamics of skills in demand in the current and predicted future economy.
Yet, there seems to be a lacuna in understanding the value and the skill sets on offer by the social sciences. This is reflected to a large extent in the expectations and inquisitiveness on the part of young scholars, students and academicians alike, regarding the ‘future prospects’ of a ‘career in the social sciences’. Given this context, the Conference seeks to examine the capabilities, capacities and potential of the social sciences, to meet the demands of curricula, career and societal cohesion. This critical engagement, of social sciences and society, and social sciences from within, form the key thrust of the Conference.