Introduction

The University was established in 1980 and the Department came into existence a year later in 1981. Since its inception it is involved intensively in the domains of teaching, learning and research.The department has excellent physical and academic ambience conducive for pursuing quality education. The department has kept pace with changing times and has introduced many innovative, some specialized courses, considering the advances in the discipline, requirements for professional advancement and employment opportunities. The department has well trained faculty, specialized and interested in the diverse areas of Political Science including Political Sociology, Political Theory, Indian Government and Politics, Local self- governments, International Relations, Regional Organizations, European Union, Political Economy and India’s Foreign Policy. The department has sufficiently focused on research and has produced 28 Ph.Ds. so far and about 51 scholars are pursuing their doctoral programme at present. The department has organized many international and national conferences, and the department is known for the visits of several internationally distinguished scholars and personalities for delivering lectures and interaction with the students. The department also has to its credit the award of prestigious honours, linkages and awards that includes-

• Recognition as ‘existing knowledge Centre’ for study of European Union (2010-12) by the India- European Union Study Centre’s Programme (IESCP), an offshoot of India-European Union (EU) Strategic Partnership Joint Action Plan, 2005 (revised in 2008) that envisaged closer links between higher educational institutions of India and EU
• MOU through Mangalore University for academic exchange with Aarhus University (Denmark), University of Milan (Italy). Leiden University (Netherlands), University of Warsaw (Poland), Reutlingen University (Germany), Hochschule Bremen (Germany).
• Erasmus Mundus Academic Exchange Programme (2011-15), as part of interdisciplinary bridges in Indo- European Studies IBIES Project, funded by European Commission.
• Recipient of Jean Monnet Module (2017-2020) supported by EACEA, European Commission.