Academic Societies

The Ashoka Chemistry Society is a student-led initiative that recognises the importance of chemistry and strives to bring this knowledge to a wider audience. We are passionate about exploring the mysteries of the chemical universe and unlocking the incredible potential of this science. Our goal is to make chemistry an integral part of the Ashokan community by creating a dynamic space where students can come together to share their ideas and get to know like-minded individuals. We also hold interesting events like chemistry-themed quizzes, sales of live liquid nitrogen ice-cream, and science-themed games created in-house. We hope to have some fun, encourage others to have fun too, and make chemistry accessible to everyone.

The Women in Computing Society is working towards making the domain of computer science an inclusive space for all. We constantly work towards building a larger community of women in CS that is collaborative and supportive, both personally and academically. The society hosts talks, hackathons, cryptic hunts, workshops, and research reading groups. As part of our larger vision of an inclusive society, we organise events focused on activism, community events to increase tech literacy among the underrepresented and underprivileged, discussions and podcasts on gender and sexism in academic spaces, and sessions on building confidence and tackling other challenges for women in STEM. 

We also run the Ashoka Women in STEM Mentorship Program connecting non-cis male sophomores and seniors in STEM with non-cis male alumni from Ashoka in related fields. Our flagship event is the inter-university Processing Community Day celebration, held with the motif of making tech accessible to the masses.

The Computer Science Society at Ashoka University was founded in 2016 to strengthen the emerging CS culture on campus. It is an academic society that aims to create opportunities and resources for all students interested in this field through a host of activities. The society successfully conducted workshops and an inter-university competition named Decipher, an adaptation of technical war games in the session 2022-23. At present, the events are focused towards motivating students to contribute to open source projects online and to help improve the coding culture on campus, along with developing an interest in all things CS-related for all students, irrespective of their preferred subjects!

Website: https://cs-ashoka.github.io/

The Ashoka University Economics Society (AUES) aims to contribute to the dialogue around economics in Ashoka by providing students with an intellectually stimulating environment that allows them to engage with and critically think about issues gripping the world, beyond the confines of their courses. 

As an initiative to increase student engagement with economics, AUES has undertaken several activities in the past including competitions, seminars, mentorship programmes and the flagship Economics fest – Equilibrium. They also have under their wing the Ashoka University Economic Review or the AUER, Ashoka’s first peer-reviewed undergraduate journal for economics and lastly a blog, The Economic Ashokan.

Rethinking Economics, Ashoka aims to promote critical thinking about economics, the economics curriculum, and its intersections with other disciplines. Through our events, we hope to foster conversations about alternative approaches to practicing economics, and to address some of the biggest criticisms against the discipline. We plan to leverage the RE global network to connect the Ashokan community with students, academics, and experts from across disciplines in these institutions, thus fostering the diversity in perspectives, knowledge, and expertise that we strive for in a critical economic discourse at Ashoka. In the end, we hope to make economics more fun and approachable, including to those who have no prior exposure.

Epigraph is a community of literature enthusiasts at Ashoka keen on exploring their literary passions and ideas. Our definition of literature is ambitious, with space for all forms and media that attempt to understand the world. Over the academic year, the society hosts a wide range of events including but not limited to talks, workshops, theatrical performances, and game stalls.

The Ashoka History Society was founded in 2017 with the aim to make history as a discipline accessible to all students by engaging in both academic and non-academic tools, and to provide a forum where all individuals passionate about History can engage, debate and facilitate learning within the discipline. We are a close-knit society that organizes innovative events throughout the year to make history more accessible to all. The society engages in events such as setting up ‘History Helpdesk’ during exam week to help students with their courses, curating museums themed around different memories of the student body, leading heritage walks in collaboration with professors, and hosting alumni talks – amongst others.

Ashoka’s International Relations Society aims to make International Relations (IR) accessible to a wider audience through different forms of engagement – including student publications for both academic and non-academic pieces, discussing media and pop culture’s interaction with IR, and hosting various internal and external events throughout the year. The society also organises an Annual student-led research conference featuring presentations, panels and visual exhibitions. Through these endeavors, we hope to build interest and accessibility in all things IR!

The society involves itself in the comprehensive analysis of existing world trade while interpreting the contemporary International Policy of India. It delves deeper into foreign inter-relations of countries based on interdependent economies. We also examine the functionality and validity of the current WTO. The goal is to apply both practical and theoretical (research-based) knowledge into composing a youth-centric idea of world trade. Engaging with globalisation, we believe that understanding trade is essential in being able to interpret the interaction of world economic systems. 

The Ashoka Media, Film and Communications Society (AMFACS) aims to create an inclusive space for freedom of speech and expression. To create a space at Ashoka that fosters an appreciation of media and film and communications and further provides insights and enhance learning of core filmmaking, journalism, social media, podcasts fields.

The Philosophy Society aims to make philosophy more accessible to everyone by illustrating how it is intrinsically interwoven, not only into the liberal arts but also into thinking in general. Through our diverse & unorthodox events, we persevere to prove that philosophy is neither abstruse nor only reserved for dead white men who use ‘abstruse’ instead of ‘obscure’ for no good reason.

Journeying aboard the ship of Logic, with Critical Thinking at the helm, we can’t guarantee freedom from misery, but we certainly can ensure enlightenment, even if it’s ephemeral.

PhilSoc: appealing to reason, through appealing to alliteration.

Citta, Ashoka’s Student-run Philosophy Journal is the product of a shared dream to work with fellow philosophers and a hunger to be involved in Philosophy beyond the classroom. We bring to you our excitement of collaborating in the form of a student-run, peer-reviewed journal on academic philosophy. Citta is an emblem of our hope that every budding philosopher who comes to Ashoka always has a group of inspiring and kind students to welcome them. We are sending out this call for drafts and papers across South-Asia because we harbour a desire to foster an environment — far and wide — which encourages brilliant young minds to read, write, and edit academic philosophy.

At PhySoc, our mission is to make Physics fun and accessible to all! 

We aim to enhance the academic experience of students by organizing informative lectures,  workshops and other events related to Physics. Whether you’re tackling the concept of spherical cows or exploring the superpositions of the quantum world, we’re here to help you through it. We hope to increase opportunities for hands-on experiences through open lab sessions, field trips etc. and further allow incoming undergraduates to be able to network and connect with like-minded peers. But more than anything, we wish to understand how Physics as an idea functions at a liberal arts university like Ashoka, and the beauty and learning that comes with the exchange of conversations with other departments. 

So, whether you’re majoring in Physics or wish to join a close-knit community of Physics enthusiasts, or simply want to be part of important discussions in the field of Physics – PhySoc welcomes you to explore all your curiosities! 

The Astronomy Society provides a platform for individuals to come together and engage in discussions, observations, and activities related to astronomy. With a focus on education and outreach, members have the opportunity to learn about various aspects of astronomy and share their knowledge with the wider community through events such as star parties, colloquiums, and workshops. The society also organizes field trips for stargazing sessions and to astronomical facilities, providing members with hands-on experience. Whether one is a seasoned astronomer or simply curious about the cosmos, the Astronomy Society welcomes all who share a fascination with the wonders of the universe.

The Ashoka Political Science Society encapsulates and works on everything political. It hopes to bring political discourses, both academic and non-academic, to the forefront of Ashokan culture. From its election analysis project on reporting and analyzing elections worldwide to its very own student-led academic journal and newsletter, the APSS has a myriad of avenues for students to both publish and promote their work and research interests. The society also has a dedicated events and social media team that works towards our flagship events and connects us with similar organizations worldwide. With the aim to foster an inclusive space for discourse and critical thinking, the Ashoka Political Science society is open to all.

Colloquially alluded to as ‘PsychSoc’, we engage in myriad events catered towards reading research, alleviating stress, and mental well-being. Through our events and workshops, we intend to spotlight the scientific rigor necessitated by Psychology, to make this beloved discipline more accessible to the student body.

The AnthropoSoc is the academic society associated with the Sociology-Anthropology Department of Ashoka University. The Society provides a platform for students to expand their imagination of the discipline through initiatives such as their blog, movie screenings, symposiums, and reading circles. In the past, the Society has hosted workshops with anthropologists from across the globe including Veena Das, Ilhana Gershon, Mayur Suresh and Tom Boellstorf. The society aims at making conversations within Anthropology accessible to students across the university and hopes to provide a space beyond the classroom for students to engage with the discipline.  

We believe that we take for granted being geographically located in India and overlook its multifaceted intricacies. Our various verticals will focus on understanding India through its local geographies, societal systems, indigenous knowledge, cultural individuality and beyond. We would also tap into a rich pool of emerging talent, encouraging digital innovation through projects illustrating (digitally) various case studies or research interests and promoting indigenous forms of art and skill through modern outlets, weaving India into its forefront. We wish to provide a platform for the Ashokan community to share their common inquisitiveness with respect to India while honing skills like critical thinking, case study analysis, conducting primary and secondary research, hosting practical workshops and even digital skills such as website building, and digital art illustrations.

The IEEE Ashoka Student Branch (IASB) aims to encourage, promote and reward distinction in the areas of Computer Science, Biology and other areas of interest to IEEE. Our mission is to help fellow student members acquire indispensable skills that set them apart from those vying for prestigious positions in business and academics by providing various service programmes and leadership training. 

At Ashoka University, a society like IASB presents a unique opportunity to cater to a student community from various academic backgrounds. With our flagship hands-on lab sessions, coupled with an earnest attempt to increase technological literacy in the community at large, we look forward to providing scientific exposure that leads to the development of an enthusiastic and inclusive STEM audience.

For further reference, check out our website: https://edu.ieee.org/in-ashoka/