Dr Diti Pundrik Vyas

Associate Professor, School of Creative Practices and Entrepreneurship (SCoPE)
PhD, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar

Diti Pundrik Vyas is an Associate Professor at the School of Creative Practices and Entrepreneurship. Through her research, she has concentrated on gender studies, children’s literature, communication studies, sustainability communication and indigenous communities. A lot of her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals of repute such as IRCL, Taylor and Francis and Emerald Publication.

 

At Anant, Dr Vyas teaches interdisciplinary courses and research that are in line with the vision of SCoPE. Employing time-tested and innovative teaching andragogy, Dr Vyas offers experiential courses such as Communication for Social Change, Semiotics, Written Analysis and Communication, Research Writing and Interpersonal Skills.

 

With a strong background in literature, management and fine arts, Dr Vyas has a rich experience in academic teaching, research and consulting spanning two decades. Her doctoral research entitled ‘Gender Politics and Indian Children’s Literature: A Comparative Analysis of Adventure Fiction in English and Gujarati’ has received national and international accolades from bodies such as the International Research Society for Children’s Literature (IRSCL). She was a gold medallist at the Master’s Level from Gujarat University and secured a distinction in her MPhil. She also won the second prize in the 1st Indigenous Voices Case Writing Competition at The Case Journal, Emerald, 2023.

 

Dr Vyas has worked as Principal Investigator on the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) Project on Archiving and Reviving Lullabies in the Gujarati Language with AICTE. She is the Co-Project Director at Investigating Impact of Digital India Initiative on Urban and Rural Youth in Gujarat, a Minor Research Project, ICSSR – 2023-24. 

 

Professionally, Dr Vyas has been in different positions including an Associate Professor in the Communications Area at Adani Institute of Infrastructure Management, a visiting faculty at institutes of eminence such as Indian Institute of Management Udaipur, Indian Institute of Management Rohtak, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, School of Petroleum Management, Gandhinagar and St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad. She also served as an Associate Professor, Communications and Head of the Centre of Excellence on Social Infrastructure (CSI) at Adani Institute of Infrastructure Management (AIIM), Ahmedabad. 

 

Dr Vyas has widely lectured and presented at international and national forums such as Newcastle University, Maastricht University, the Netherlands, University of Worcester, United Kingdom, York University, Canada, Marino Institute of Education, Ireland, National Institute of Design (NID), Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Indian Institute of Management Udaipur, Bharatiar University, Tamil Nadu and Calicut University, Kerala. 

 

She has mentored mid-career executives of Apollo Hospitals, Adani Group, Sterling Hospital, State Bank of India, British Council and Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Gujarat through various Management Development Programmes (MDPs) in the areas of Leadership Communication, Interpersonal Skills etc.

 

Beyond academics, Dr Vyas is trained in Kathak and Hindustani music. She also holds a diploma in Painting from CN Fine Arts College. She enjoys high-altitude trekking, especially in the Himalayas.

 

Contact: diti.vyas@anu.edu.in

 

Award and Achievements

 

Funded Research Projects:
2023-2024 – “Investigating Impact of Digital India Initiative on Urban and Rural Youth in Gujarat” Sponsored Minor Project by ICSSR, Project Sanctioned Amount – INR 926000/- (Project Investigator – Dr. Subhalaxmi Mohapatra, Dr. Diti Vyas and Dr. Subhadip Roy).


2022-2023 – “Archiving and Reviving Oral Lullabies in Gujarati”, Mentorship Project by AICTE Indian Knowledge Systems Internships Programme 2022-23, Project Sanctioned Amount – INR 1,50, 000/- (Project Investigator – Dr. Diti Vyas)

 

Thesis Supervision:
“Engendering Graphic Design: An Investigation of the Industry” Scholar – Ms. Pinkal Raval; Supervisor – Dr. Diti Vyas.

“Toy & Pedagogy of school education as per NEP 2020” Scholar – Mr. Nilesh Siddhpura; Supervisor – Dr. Subhalaxmi Mohapatra and Dr. Diti Vyas

 

Project Supervision
Impact Assessment of Creative, Art based pedagogy on Student Development: A Case Study of Rural Primary Schools in Nainital, Uttarakhand.” (Mentor – Dr. Diti Vyas in partnership with the industry partner Aarohi, Uttrakhand) Live Action Project

 

Publications:
Vyas, Diti and Nidhi Vyas. “We will Make Mountains Green”: Mapping Climate Change Awareness and Action with the Children of the Indian Himalayan Region of Uttarakhand in Children’s Literature, Culture, and Pedagogies: Multidisciplinary Entanglements. Edited by Terri Doughty. Justyna Deszcz-Tryhubczak and Janet Grafton. Bloomsbury Academic. (Forthcoming)

Vyas, Diti, Mohapatra, Subhalaxmi, & Marvada, Karan Bhojabhai (2024). To digitalize or not digitalize: scaling up dilemma at Karan Handicraft. The CASE Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/TCJ-04-2023-0088- Scopus Indexed


Vyas, Diti (2023), “Feminist Subversion of Adventure in Indian Children’s Literature in English and Gujarati Languages.” The International Journal of Literary Humanities 21 (2): 101-112.. 17th April, 2023. SCOPUS indexed Publication. doi:10.18848/2327- 7912/CGP/v21i02/101-112- Scopus Indexed


Vyas, Diti (2022), “No Kidding: The Evolution of Children’s Literature Studies” Diotama’s: A Journal of New Readings. Vol 13, December, 2022. https://www.pwcenglish.com/wp content/uploads/2023/07/Journal-Final-6.pdf.


Vyas, Diti, & Oza, S. (2022). Gender Representation in ESG Communication of Indian Companies: Observations and Insights. In Infrastructure Development–Theory, Practice
and Policy (pp. 16-21). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003311157.SCOPUS indexed Publication. Scopus Indexed.

 

Conference Presentations:
Vyas, Diti, (2024), “The Harbingers of Hope: Childhood nature Analysis of Children and Environment in Andamans Boy” at International Conference on Navigating Sustainable Futures: Literary Reflections on Precarious Lives and the Anthropocene hosted Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Patna and School of Liberal Arts, Bennett University (Greater Noida) in association with the University of Toronto (Canada), University of Northampton (UK), Aarhus University (Denmark), and University of York (UK) from 24th-25th February 2024

Vyas Diti and Subhalaxmi, Mohapatra (2024), “Who is Telling Tales: A Pedagogical Experimental Comparison of AI and Human Generated Stories and Student Creative Satisfaction” 10th International Communication Management= Conference: (ICMC 2024): Immersive technology and experiences: Implications for business and society, MICA, Ahmedabad, January 18-20, 2024. Oral Presentation and Book of Proceedings.


Vyas Diti and Nidhi Vyas (2023), “Thematic Analysis of Climate Change Awareness and Action in the Children of Indian Himalayan Region of Uttarakhand”, 10th International Conference on Sustainability SUSCON X, Indian Institute of Shillong, 22nd to 23rd November, 2023. Oral Presentation and Book of Proceedings.


Vyas Diti and Mohapatra, Subhalaxmi (2023), “Karan Handicrafts: Understanding the Digital Entrepreneurship Typology Using Case Study Research” for the conference “3rd Pritam Singh Memorial (PRISM) Conference”, 17-19 th November, 2023. Oral Presentation and Book Proceedings


Vyas, D (2023), “From Care and Candour to Complaints and Crabs: Transnational Turns in Indian Lullabies in Gujarati Language” at International Symposium in Children’s Literature, Newcastle University UK, 27-29th July, 2023. Oral Presentation


Vyas, D (2023), “The Silencing of Tarzan Kishori: The Case of Non-Normative Gender Expression in Gujarati Children’s Literature: Pippi to Ripley 6: Gender, Sexuality and Popular Culture: Ithaca College. New York. 22nd April, 2023. Oral Presentation.

Vyas, Diti and Deepak Krishnan “Creating a Digital Space for Handicraft Products” 2 nd  Pritam Singh Memorial (PRISM) Conference, Leading the business of the future: Talent, Technology and Transformation in a changing world, November 17-19, 2022 IIM Nagpur. Oral Presentation

Vyas, Diti (2022), “Existing between Possibility and Impossibility: The Othered Indian Children’s Literature of the Pre Colonial Era”. Sociocultural Constructions of Identity, 1st Biennial kidlit@hollins Symposium Own & Other Voices, Hollins University. VA, USA. July 7-10, 2022. Oral Presentation

 

Awards and Distinctions:
Vyas Diti and Mohapatra, Subhalaxmi & Marvada, Karan (2023), “To Digitalize or Not Digitalize: Scaling Up Dilemma at Karan Handicrafts”, Indigenous Voices Case Writing
Competition, Emerald Publishing limited. Won the Second Prize and a fund of £500 Award


Vyas, Diti, Inducted as a member of Expert Committee constituted by the Hon’ble Chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC) to promote stories and folklore highlighting the rich and unique linguistic and cultural attributes of different Indian
languages, 3rd January, 2023.

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Invited Talks:
Vyas, Diti, “Communication of Leaders in the Health Sector”. Indian Institute of Public Health (G) in Collaboration with Government of Gujarat. 16th May, 2024.


Vyas, Diti, “From Lullabies for Children to लालन गीतम् for Mothers and Children: A Case Study of Lullabies in Gujarati Language”, International Conference on Indian Knowledge System, 26th and 27th of April 2024, Vivekananda Global University in Jaipur. Plenary
Address

Vyas, Diti, “The Conundrum of Children’s Children: Creation, Transcreation or Translation?” Trans-Ending Polarities International Conference, Vellalar College for Women in collaboration with Pachyderm Tales, Erode, Tamil Nadu, 23th November, 2022. Plenary Address.

Vyas, Diti, “Female Voices in Children’s Literature in Gujarati”. Indian Knowledge Systems Course. (Co-ordinated by Prof. Michel Danino and Prof. Mana Shah, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar. 1st April, 2022. Invited Lecture.

Vyas, Diti, “Between Impossibility and Possibility: Pre-colonial Children’s Literature in Indian Languages” Indian Knowledge Systems Course coordinated by Prof. Michel Danino, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar. 31st March, 2022. Invited Lecture. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jElgubnQGLo

Vyas, Diti, “Toy Design Education: Courses and Careers”, International Webinar on Toys and Games to Play, Make and Learn. Ministry of Education and NCERT. 20th and 21st
January, 2022.