My first assignment after being selected as an RTA under EDNERU of IGNOU was to attend the Orientation Programme which was conducted from 8/12/08 to 12/12/08. 

Next programme was in the month of April 2009, I made a presentation in the Inter-Disciplinary and Trans-Disciplinary School of IGNOU, it was mainly an attempt to advocate my research work on the proposed topic- ‘An Appraisal of India’s Look-East Policy through the Corridors of its North-East Region’. Later on I changed the title as per advice of the eminent jury members and the revised title of the research paper is - ‘An Appraisal of Political and Economic Impact of India’s Look-East Policy on its North-East Region’. The paper was primarily an endeavor to justify the scope, objectives, hypotheses, methodological stances, tentative chapterisations and probably concluding interpretation of the proposed theme. 

From 24/9/09 to 28/09/09 I attended a workshop on Research Methodology scheduled in Guwahati. I was enlightened with the multifarious tenets and valuable insights of Research Methodology in the workshop from the lectures delivered by renowned scholars and succeeded in gaining significant knowledge about the way to pursue my work. 

I am conducting my research activity from Global India Foundation, Kolkata.  I always make a point to actively participate in the Foundation’s dynamic academic pursuits. On 4/09/09 I made an in- house paper presentation on the theme- ‘India’s North-East Region: Advancing India’s Look-East Policy’.  

I have written e-articles on Bay Of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Mekong-Ganga Cooperation, North-East India vis-à-vis India’s Look-East Policy in our official website-globalindiafoundation.org. The afore-mentioned articles are entirely based on the feed- back of our in-house presentations, formal discussions on diverse topics as well as on the relevant suggestions made by academic intellectuals.  

I attended an International Conference on ‘Cooperative Development, Peace and Security in South and Central Asia’ organised by Global India Foundation, Kolkata  in collaboration with the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development(CRRID), Chandigarh and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIS), Kolkata from 1 to 2 March, 2009 at Jadavpur University, Kolkata. 

I have almost completed the draft of the introduction of my PhD topic through regular interaction with and proper application of the relevant guidance and significant inputs provided by my supervisor, Prof. Samir Kumar Das of Calcutta University. For the purpose of enriching my knowledge on the afore- mentioned topic I am reading books, journals, articles on the North-East Region and India’s Foreign Policy. 
 

 The proposed thesis aims to thoroughly probe into the aspects that define India’s North- East Region as a gateway to South East Asia. It tends to focus on the facets of India’s Look- East Policy that identify the development of the North-East as a stepping stone towards the success of the Policy. And at the same time it proposes to survey whether India’s North-East will be entitled to benefit from India’s thriving relation with ASEAN. The research will also focus on the existing obstacles in India- ASEAN cooperation and the plausible means to eradicate the same. 

In November,2009- participated and presented a paper on , ' A Glimpse of the Realisation of India's Look – East Policy through the Development of its North-East Region'  in the National Conference on Indigenous Technology, Livelihood Options and Habitat Utilization- Concepts and Perspectives of Development- at Guwahati. 

As an RTA I can assure of my increased and dedicated involvement in the academic endeavors and at the same time I do express my whole-hearted commitment to the scheme.  

 Sayantani Sen Mazumdar

Global India Foundation

Kolkata.