Social Sciences Winter School (2027) – Digitalisation and Development
The Social Sciences Winter School in Pondicherry (SSWSP) is an Indo-French academic collaboration that fosters multidisciplinary exchange and provides intensive methodological training for emerging scholars. The programme offers young researchers working in the region an opportunity to share research ideas, refine their methodological approaches, and develop their work through sustained academic engagement.
This winter school has four main objectives:
- To provide training to master’s students and PhD researchers on cross-cutting approaches to research methodology;
- To build research capacity and facilitate knowledge transfer through the sharing of experiences and ideas;
- To strengthen international cooperation through the creation of an academic network;
- To consolidate a community of young scholars in India.
The theme for the 2027 SSWSP is Digitalisation and Development: Financialisation, Work and Employment, and Governance. The rapid diffusion of smartphones, internet, digital payment systems, and platform-mediated services has occurred at an extraordinary speed, often outpacing both regulatory capacity and scholarly understanding of its implications for development. This is particularly evident in India where the convergence of an evolving digital economy, increased policy expenditure for digital services, transformations in labour practices, and digital infrastructures are imagined as ways to leapfrog the country’s development trajectory.
The five-day workshop is organized between parallel Working Groups of 10-15 participants each, details of which are in the call for papers below.
For the detailed thematic note, and details of each working group, please use the links below.
Detailed Call
Working Groups
- Working Group 1: Digital Finance
- Working Group 2: Digitalisation and Governance
- Working Group 3: Digital Labour in South Asia
Venue
The SSWSP will take place at the French Institute of Pondicherry from February 1st to February 5th, 2027.
Registration
Please read the complete workshop call before applying. Fill in and submit the electronic application form via the following form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScxpf1bxJkWqBsB3Fgv7GotZPXuY87xBRzyXtRiczinlURqFQ/viewform.
The deadline for submission of application is October 1st, 2026.
The Selection Committee will confirm your participation by October 15th, 2026.
Selected students will be offered accommodation and food in Pondicherry for the duration of the programme. While registration fees are not charged, participants have to cover their transportation costs.
Contacts of convenors
All correspondence should be addressed to the coordinators through this unique email ID: winterschool@ifpindia.org . More information will be available on the website of the Winter School: http://winterspy.hypotheses.org
Organising committee
Marine Al Dahdah (CNRS), Senthil Babu Dhandapani (IFP), Rémi de Bercegol (CNRS–IFP), Mathieu Ferry (IFP), Thamarai Selvan Kannan (IFP), M Vijayabaskar (MIDS), Prajwal Nagesh (MIDS), Nelson Mandela S (MIDS), Khaliq Parkar (IIIT Hyderabad), Balaji Parthasarathy (Fairwork India), Antonio Casilli (INDL), Aishik Saha (INDL), Kanikka Sersia (UNIL).
OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Asian Studies (July 16, 2026). Social Sciences Winter School (2027) – Digitalisation and Development. SOCIAL SCIENCES WINTER SCHOOLS IN SOUTH ASIA. Retrieved October 15, 2026 from https://doi.org/10.58079/16l72
