Social work research vital for grassroots governance, says CUK Vice-Chancellor

Social work research plays a crucial role in strengthening grassroots governance by generating field-based evidence that helps governments formulate effective welfare programmes and development policies, said Battu Sathyanarayana, Vice-Chancellor of Central University of Karnataka (CUK).

Addressing faculty members during a special lecture on “Research, Writing and Publication” organised by the Department of Social Work on the university campus recently, research scholars and students, Mr. Sathyanarayana said that social work researchers and professionals play a vital role in understanding grassroots realities through field visits, community interaction, village surveys, data collection and community-based research. Such research, he said, provides valuable inputs to policymakers while designing welfare schemes and development initiatives at the State and national levels.

Mr. Sathyanarayana noted that the professionals also contribute to the effective implementation of government welfare programmes by creating public awareness, facilitating access to government schemes and promoting positive social and behavioural change. Urging scholars to pursue original, ethical and socially relevant research, he said their work should contribute meaningfully to societal progress and national development.

The special lecture was delivered by Manohar Pawar, Professor of Social Work at Charles Sturt University, Australia, and Visiting Professor at CUK. He spoke on research methodology, academic writing, publication ethics and the importance of publishing quality research in reputed journals. He encouraged research scholars to uphold academic integrity and produce impactful research that benefits society.