VIDYA-BHAVANA
(Institute of Humanities & Social Sciences)

Vidya-Bhavana, the key-stone of Tagore's concept of Visva-Bharati as a Centre of Indian Culture, which came to be inaugurated as the Institute of Higher Studies and Research in 1332 B.S. (1925-26), has its origin in the Uttar-Vibhaga or the 'Department of
Higher Studies' (1921).

Prior to 1972 when all the Bhavanas of the University were restructured on the lines of faculty formation in other universities, Vidya-Bhavana was the Post-graduate faculty of the University dealing with both the M.A. and M.Sc. courses, the Under-graduate Honours Courses in both Humanities and Science Subjects being administered by Siksha-Bhavana. With the reorganisation so effected, Vidya-Bhavana came to be constituted as the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences.

It is now the major faculty of the university with fifteen academic departments functioning under it. It offers regular courses of study both at the under-graduate, and the post-graduate levels as well as research facilities in its constituent departments of Humanities and Social Sciences. The casual language certificate courses are open mainly for regular students and the staff members of Visva-Bharati and the residents of the locality. A one-year integrated course on Indian Culture and Civilisation is offered to foreign students.

Academic Structure

English and Other Modern European Languages

Economics & Politics

History

Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology (AIHC&A)

Geography

Philosophy

Comparative Religion

Sanskrit, Pali & Prakrit

Hindi

Chinese

Oriya

Arabic, Persian & Islamic Studies

Indo-Tibetan Studies

Japanese

Language units are Marathi, Tamil, Italian, Assamese, Santali, Italian, Russian,
German and French.

The Bhavana has a very well-equipped Archaeological Museum and regular excavation work is undertaken by the Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture & Archaeology. A large number of manuscripts in Sanskrit, Bengali, Oriya, Tibetan, Arabic and Persian are preserved in the departments concerned.

Visiting Professors and scholars from all over the world have regularly joined Vidya-Bhavana where exchange of ideas have opened up new areas of research, to which significant contributions have been made.