Good day, Dr. Sayani Konar. I'm Arjun. I've had a look through your background and your professional record. I'm interested in hearing more about your work and how you see yourself fitting in here with our faculty. Ready to start?

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia.

I am Doctor Shaini Konan, I have completed my PhD in English from IIT Bhubaneswar in May 2025. UH I have been serving as a teaching assistant in UH IIT Bhubaneswar during my PhD tenure.

I have, uh, been, uh, assisting my supervisor in teaching courses on English communication.

Assistant professor of English at Sr. University, Waringal. I have BA and MA degree in English from the University of Burdwan. I also hold a BA degree since I am the doctor of. Since I'm the daughter of a teacher, teaching is a profession that I have been that I've that I have aspired to since my childhood.

Hence I also got a BA degree in teaching. I have qualified UGC, NET, GRF.

Yes, and I'm looking forward to contributing, making meaningful contributions in teaching and research while at VIT, that's all.

Thank you for sharing, Professor. Let us begin with assessing the key skills necessary for this role. Could you elaborate on your understanding and expertise in Digital Humanities? How have you engaged with this field, either academically or through practical experience?

My broad area of research is literary urban studies. I would first like to explain how urban studies is related to digital humanities.

There is a particular field within urban studies that is psycho geography that deals with the effect of environment on human emotions. The effect of space, city space on human emotions.

So using digital humanities, what I can do is I can make a psychological and an emotional map of a city. There has already work started on this. I can also map how cities, how marginal spaces in. I can map marginal spaces where the disenfranchised and the marginalized in the cities are residing. And such kind of psychological and emotional map are the kind of map that.

The marginalized community. Such a kind of map will challenge the standard cartography that doesn't often take into consideration the real issues.

This is how I can link Lydia Hubbins urban Studies to digital humanities. Apart from that, digital humanities can also be used in teaching.

And communication skills, interpersonal skills, collaboration, all of those can be enhanced and facilitated using digital tools. That's how I understand that I can use digital humanities for my research as well as my teaching.

In communication in daily classroom as well. For example when I'm teaching communication to BTEC students, technical skills and. And body language, giving them lectures on body language.

Thank you, Professor. You presented a compelling connection between digital humanities and urban studies, particularly through psycho-geography and mapping marginalized spaces. Additionally, your perspective on integrating digital humanities into teaching communication and soft skills is insightful. Next, let's delve into another area: Commonwealth Literature. Could you describe your expertise with this subject and highlight any specific themes or works within Commonwealth Literature that you find academically significant?

Again, coming to the Commonwealth literature, my research area of literary urban studies is very much connected to Commonwealth themes. In my PhD thesis, I have particularly focused on Indian city writings. I can term it as that my research has focused on Commonwealth urban literature. In my PhD, I have. Studied how mega cities in India.

Like Delhi, Calcutta, Mumbai and Chennai How they have inspired writers to produce writings that deal with Commonwealth issues in the cities like diasporic issues like.

Suketu Mehta is a writer who writes on Mumbai and also. Rana Dasgupta, who writes on Delhi. Both of these authors have diasporic identities, They have transnational identities they are facing. They are they're the issue that comes up in their writing is they don't have a fixed identity. They have migrated outside India and they came back to India to write about the cities and then again they left. So there is this issue.

Of hybrid identity, that is, that is very relevant in Commonwealth literature and that is something that I have explored through my works on city writings. Apart from that, another theme related to Commonwealth literature is neocolonialism. So I have studied works like Ahmedabad, The City with the Past by Esther David, where I have shown that.

The city, That Indian city.

Is though that the Indian cities though can be identified as post colonial, they are also undergoing neocolonialism that is perpetrated through globalization, capitalization and neoliberalization. So there is a new sort of global colonization that is being perpetrated by transnational companies and America and also. Critics have pointed out that the there is a term that they have used. Unholy Trinity by which they referred to.

World World World Bank then International Monetary Fund and how this institutes actually forced this institutions forced neoliberalism on on post colonial countries and have in a way facilitated neo colonialism in these countries. So I under I read the effects of globalization that is in a way is an offshoot of new.

Colonialism and how that is impacting Commonwealth cities. And in my research I have particularly focused on Indian cities and I have also done some work on Sri Lankan city Colombo. That's it.

Thank you, Professor. Your exploration of Commonwealth Literature through the lens of urban studies, diasporic identities, and neocolonialism in Indian cities is well-articulated and deeply rooted in academic rigor. Your references to works like Suketu Mehta’s and Esther David’s, as well as your connection to broader global trends, are impressive. Moving forward, could you share your approach or methods of teaching English Language effectively, particularly in diverse environments like technical or interdisciplinary institutions?

First of all, I'd like to focus that while teaching communication to Btech students. I make sure that I don't follow the traditional lecture method that included one way delivery of content. So that is something I try to avoid in my lectures. I try to make the classes as engaging as possible. I include activities that. Make students participate in them like role plays, group discussions.

Where I give them activities within the classroom where they need to communicate with their peers, where they need to speak up, where they need to converse. And that's how it's an active learning that happens in my classroom. Apart from that, I also use the method of flipped classroom where I give them some materials before the class begins, say one or two days before the. Scheduled class.

Brainstorming sessions.

I give them study materials that they can go through and then within the classroom they can implement those. For example, if I'm giving them a lecture on body language on soft skills, I'll give them materials on the same. And I will in the next class, I'll instruct them that whatever you have learned about body language and communicating through gestures, whatever you have learned on that you. Incorporate those within the role play that we are going to do in the classroom.

Also, I carry mock interviews within the classroom where I make both the students the interviewer as well as the interview. So the students act as recruiter as well as the candidate. That is something that happens within the classroom. I have also met the students actively participate in debate.

Also, another important thing that I need to focus is that often students feel very reluctant to speak up in the classroom. They are very shy, they are very coy. In such situations, I start with cracking jokes or making some humorous comments in the classroom. That eases out the tension in the classroom and the students can easily open up. And then I ask them very informal questions like what was the last movie that you watched? What was the?

What did you have for breakfast today in the morning? And they they start opening up and in this way I slowly draw them into the conversation and that's how I try to improve their communication skills. Apart from that, I also use story writing and storytelling methods. I give them random stories and tell them to come up with.

The, the endings, better endings and alternative endings using their imagination. So these are all the ways that I try to make the students, uh, uh, feel engaged as well as interactive in within the classroom as well as improve their communication skills.

It's evident, Professor, that you have a well-rounded and dynamic approach to teaching English in diverse environments. Your methods—such as flipped classrooms, role-playing, group discussions, and creating an informal, engaging atmosphere—demonstrate a commitment to fostering active learning and overcoming communication barriers. Next, let’s evaluate your experience with student evaluation and exam duties. Could you provide examples of how you’ve conducted assessments, designed exams, or evaluated student performance in your teaching roles?

The courses that I have taught till now have evaluation patterns divided into assignments as well as.

Regular examinations and first let me talk about the assignments. There have been assignments that have I have given students assignments on presentations. I have taught them about speaking and presentation and given them a topic beforehand to prepare and then present in the class.

I have also given them assignments on group presentations to see how they can collaborate and communicate within a group presentation. So I have given both individual presentations assignments to the students as well as group presentation assignments to the students. Apart from that, I have also used. I have also given them writing assignments in the classroom. Based on English grammar.

And vocabulary to test their grammar and vocabulary and also to test their.

Test their skills in writing comprehensive paragraphs. When I'm selecting the questions on grammar, I am very I'm very strict with the grammar part, but often when I'm evaluating their paragraph writing, I tell them that you can make some mistakes on grammar. I allow them first.

To write their answers and then so that they can develop the confidence. And later on I instruct them to improve the grammar even in those comprehensive questions.

These are the things so my I have questions both on written as well as odal and also I have given them assignments on listening. I follow the LSRW, I have given them the listening assignments for I play. Audio that has difficult vocabularies and often that has even incorrect grammar. And I tell them to listen to that audio and find out the mistakes in the grammatical mistakes that they could find out. And also I tell.

Them there if there are some difficult words, difficult vocabulary that they come across and if they can explore them. That's how I do the assignments, assessments in the classroom, yes.

Thank you, Professor. Your attention to the variety of assessment methods—ranging from presentations, grammar tasks, and writing assignments to listening exercises—is thorough and innovative. Your ability to incorporate LSRW (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing) skills demonstrates a structured and comprehensive evaluation strategy. Could you now discuss your experience in guiding student projects and research? Specifically, how have you mentored students in independent research or collaborative projects?

Currently, in the institution that I'm working, I'm supervising 4 students. I have 4 scholars who are working under me. They are working in different teams. Every month I have at least two meetings with them with my scholars. The when they start their When they started their PhD journey, first I made sure that they did a thorough literature review. I gave them a list of topics and a range of papers to go through.

Then I told them to read them and summarize them and also give the critical insights from the papers that they have studied and write a literature review and then submit it to me. Usually, I give a time deadline to the students for this and I also keep on checking whether they have done it or not. That is how it started initially with the literature review. Now the scholars who are working under me, they have completed the literature review and they are now actively.

Looking for primary texts for their research. I have also thoroughly guided them for this. I have several meetings with them. Every every weeks, because the scholars are part-time scholars, they cannot meet me in person. I have meeting with them every week where I go through the text that they have been searching and they have been looking and I also consider we sit together and discuss how the texts are relevant and how they are relevant in today's. Research and how and we try to see if no if, if, if it's there is novelty in that research and if it has not been overdone. That's how I'm working towards.

This research supervisorship that I am handling for this new scholars, so they have completed the literature review we they have almost finalized their literary texts and they have also started writing papers again. This is something that I completely give a lot of importance to.

Writing papers So every month we have a target of at least writing one draft, if not one draft, at least an abstract and then.

Also communicating the abstracts to conferences regularly as well as to journals regularly. That's how I am supervising PhD research currently.

Your structured and meticulous approach to supervising research is commendable, Professor. From the emphasis on thorough literature reviews and selecting primary texts to fostering consistent academic writing and conference participation, your mentorship reflects a dedication to nurturing high-quality scholarship. Could you now provide insights into your publication record, especially in reputed journals? Highlight any notable works or recurring themes in your research output.

I have published 4 papers in Scopus indexed journals and one of them is in Q1 journal that is etropic is a Q1 journal where I have published Acer David's where I have published my study on Esther David's book Ahmedabad The City with the Past. Apart from that I also have a Taylor and Francis publication that is in the journal Studies in Travel Writing where I have studied Suketu Mehta's work.

Maximum City that is a book on Mumbai.

I have also published in the Journal of Narrative and Language Studies Nalans that.

But I have studied where I have studied the book of the book called Narcopolis by Jethal and I have studied it as I have studied the post water elements in that. And I have also worked on Murakami's book The Colourless Sukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage and this has been published in IUP Journal of English Studies.

Apart from this, OK so the my primary research area is literary event studies and I have focused on the figure of the Flannear. So the book in Maximum city by Suketu Mehta, I have studied Suketu Mehta as a Flannear and also in Easter David's book I have started I have studied Easter David as a flat news. The planning news is the female counterpart of a Flannear. A flanier is a urban wanderer observer who who documents who open documents the city. Though the flanier is a figure that is said to have originated in 19th century Europe, it's also relevant in today's Indian cities context. And I have studied Suketu Mehta as a flanier and Sir David is a Flanus. And I have tried to show that the act of Flannery that is the act that is.

Sorry

Is done by the Flannear is a very relevant methodological practice to study the contemporary Indian Arden issues and urban problems. So that's the common theme, the theme of the Flanier or Flannews in my papers. And apart from that as I have mentioned in the book in Narcopolis, I have studied it as a postmodern text also. Narcopolis is also on Mumbai.

And the Sukuro Tazaki in the book Sukuru Tasaki by Murakami. I have studied the issues related to space. Also my 5th paper has been accepted for publication in the journal called Bandung. It's also a Q1 Scopus journal and it is also indexed in Web of Science and it is going to be by single author paper and there I have studied.

Salman Rushdie's work Victory City and I have shown that this work challenge the Victory City by Salman Rushdie. It challenges standard ideas of time as linear and homogeneous. And I have showed that Victory City can actually produce an actually present an alternative idea of time that is. That is Indian and that is local and rooted in local epistemology.

That's it.

No, I do not have any such experience.

Your publication record is not only prolific but also demonstrates a clear thematic focus and scholarly depth, Professor. From exploring the figure of the Flâneur/Flâneuse in Indian urban contexts, postmodern elements in works like *Narcopolis*, to alternative epistemological ideas of time in Salman Rushdie's *Victory City*, your contributions are intellectually rich and well-suited for high-impact journals. Now, could you elaborate on any experience you've had with industry projects or consultancy, if applicable?

Understood, Professor. Thank you for clarifying. Let us now proceed to finalize the assessment based on the areas covered. One moment, please.

Professor Konar, I see you have published multiple Q1 and Q2 Scopus-indexed research papers and presented at international conferences. Could you briefly discuss one of your most significant research publications and its relevance to contemporary English studies?

I think my one of the most important research publication is the book by is a paper on Acer David's book Ahmedabad City with the Past, because this is where I forward the idea of globalization and capitalization and your liberalization as a form of neo colonialism. And I have tried to directly show that though India is now.

A post colonial country that is. It has come up come. It has. It has not been colonized by Britain, but it is still being neocolonized by western culture as well as western economy and the economy of India is still being influenced by institutions and by. Powers outside the country, thus facilitating a kind of perpetrating kind of colonialism.

And this is something that I've showed through how the cities economic cultural landscape is changing because of near colonialism. Yes.

Thank you, Professor Konar. Your focus on globalization and neo-colonialism offers significant insight. To delve further, how do you integrate such complex concepts into your classroom, especially for students who may not have a strong theoretical foundation in post-colonial studies?

I would like to introduce first with some movies that the students may be relevant with and then using those movies I can.

Bring in the ideas of colonialism and I can show them first maybe movies like Lagann and explain how economic colonialism is working over there and then I can relate it maybe to current movies and.

Where the focus?

Understood, Professor Konar. Using films like *Lagaan* to illustrate colonialism and economic dynamics is an engaging approach. For a follow-up, how do you ensure students critically analyze these materials and connect them to broader literary and cultural theories?

Can you please come again?

Certainly, Professor Konar. How do you ensure that students critically analyze films and connect the ideas presented to broader literary and cultural theories?

OK, this is something that I can do using the process of New Historicism. New Historicism is a literary method where contemporary texts and issues are studied along with cultural texts. So I can.

I can pick up legal documents, I can pick up records of economic records and legal records, and I can show the students the facts and the numbers and.

Stories. That's how I can explain it to them.

That’s a solid approach, Professor Konar. Leveraging New Historicism with legal documents and cultural texts alongside films provides both depth and context. Do you also incorporate interactive methods, like debates or student-led presentations, to stimulate deeper engagement with these ideas?

Big buildings as well as adjacent slum areas. And I gave them to discuss, to come up with group discussions at what this what does this image signify? What can you make out of it? So first, the students say that it signifies the economic disparity in the country that people are living with without even the basic amenities. And some people are super rich and some people also. Also pointed out the failure of the state to give.

Yes, absolutely. Group discussions are debates are something and have already used it in my classroom. I can tell you how I have showed them an image of slum in Mumbai and actually that was a picture of Mumbai that has both image of shining.

Proper amenities to this people who are marginalized and some people, other people even pointed out that this also shows the dreams and aspirations of some people from that, how they wish to shift from this side of the picture to that side of the picture. So incorporating images and graphics and doing interpretations of them through group discussions and debates is something that I've done already in.

Classroom and the students have come up with really good results.

Thank you for sharing, Professor Konar. Your methods clearly encourage critical thinking and engagement with diverse perspectives. Incorporating visual materials and fostering debates seems to be effective in connecting academic theory to real-world issues. Let's proceed.

Professor, could you outline your three-year research roadmap, specifically focusing on producing high-impact research and leveraging external funding to sustain your academic initiatives?

Yes.

There are a few things that I want to do in the domain of my research. First is of course to publish in reputed journals. I already have some papers in pipeline. Next, I want to actively participate in international and national conferences and there I want to represent VIT in those conferences. Next, I want to organize conferences and workshops within VIT. Their international workshops where I can.

Attract a large number of scholars to the workshops and I plan to and I'd also like to invite reputed scholars to search workshops. And there are several other projects that I have in mind currently and I'm working on them and I plan to get Icss, our project ICSR funding to complete this projects.

How do you plan to mentor junior students in your research lab to ensure a consistent pipeline of high-quality publications while managing these ambitious plans?

Time is up! Ending the interview now.

Can you please come again?