Research is more than just lab work!

Hi blog!  Hina again,

I think one of my favorite things about UConn is that there are so many academic opportunities available to students to get involved and to get experience outside of a classroom setting.  Specifically, one thing that makes UConn different from other universities is the constant research that is being conducted by faculty and students every year.  UConn is a research one university, which means our professors are required to conduct research—in every field.  Most people, when they think of research, picture scientists conducting research in labs and experimenting with cells and chemicals, but that’s not the only research that is being conducted at UConn.  There’s research being conducted in the humanities fields as well, and I’m excited to say that I’m involved in social science research this year!

This semester, I am getting the chance to conduct research in the Political Science department.  I am working with Dr. Shareen Hertel, a Political Science professor who is also a part of the Human Rights Institute.  Her research involves looking at the right to food campaign in India and its impact on party politics in the country.  My responsibilities include tracking the National Food Security bill that is currently being debated in the Indian Parliament and data mining articles from newspapers to see the progress of this bill in the country.   The National Food Security bill would allow all Indian citizens to have the basic human right to food, but some politicians are worried that this bill will financially bankrupt the country.  Similar to the food stamp program in the United States, the National Food Security bill would distribute food and grain to families based on predetermined requirements, but there are many complications that arise from this bill.  Dr. Hertel’s main goal for this research project is to see the influence of parties on the passing of this bill.

I’m really excited to be a part of this research project because it gives me a glimpse into what I will be getting into next year when I start my Honors thesis.  I’m looking to focus my honors thesis on third world countries and the influence that international corporations have on the labor rights of workers in that country.  Because my research this year involves basic human rights, I’m getting the foundations of human rights and research experience before I pursue my thesis!