Hyderabad Sind National Collegiate University (HSNC University), a State Public University, in collaboration with the Department of Sociology, University of Mumbai successfully organised a two-day national
workshop titled “Doing Academic Writing Differently” . The workshop was sponsored by the Indian Sociological Society (ISS) and brought together nearly 60 research scholars, teachers and early-career academics from across institutions.
The workshop opened with opening remarks by Dr. Manisha Rao, Head, Department of Sociology, University of Mumbai, who described academic writing as a complex yet deeply rewarding process. She highlighted the importance of acknowledging power relations, engaging with multiple voices and embracing the non-linear nature of research writing. Dr. Leena Pujari, Dean, Inter-disciplinary Studies, HSNC University followed with reflections on the anxieties researchers face while translating ideas into text, noting the emergence of experimental and alternative genres of academic writing.
Addressing the participants, Prof. Maitrayee Chaudhuri, President, Indian Sociological Society, emphasised the centrality of sustained reading as the foundation of good writing and reminded scholars of the importance of institutional protocols in academic publishing. Prof. Vivek, Treasurer, ISS and Guest of Honour, offered a practice-oriented perspective, stressing clarity, structure, style and accessibility. Through evocative metaphors drawn from everyday life, he argued for research writing that is engaging, grounded and intelligible to wider audiences.
