A delegation from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL), Prasanthi Nilayam, comprising six members and led by Prof. Rani P L, Dean, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, Language & Literature, visited the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH), Mysuru, on April 7 and 8, 2025. The visit was a follow-up to the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two institutions in November 2023, aimed at advancing collaborative research and academic initiatives.
During the two-day visit, the SSSIHL team, which included faculty from the Departments of Education, Performing Arts, and Languages, held detailed discussions with AIISH’s Department of Special Education. Key focus areas included integrating music therapy into special education, assessing the effectiveness of ongoing online Djembe rhythm therapy sessions, and exploring the incorporation of special education strategies within SSSIHL’s human values-based curriculum.
A highlight of the visit was a spontaneous music session conducted by SSSIHL faculty members Shri Nishikant Barodekar (Tabla), Shri P. Sreenivas (Vocal), and Shri Sai Dutt (Mridangam) for over a hundred preschool children and their parents attending therapy at AIISH.
On the second day, the team toured the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) department to explore opportunities for academic contributions in application development. Simultaneously, researchers from SSSIHL’s Department of Languages engaged with faculty from AIISH’s Department of Sign Language to discuss frameworks for collaborative and impactful research.
Prof. Rani P L also held strategic meetings with Dr. Pushpavathi, Director, and Dr. Ramkumar, COO of AIISH, to further strengthen the proposed action plan. The visit reaffirmed the shared commitment of both institutions to promote research that is socially relevant and aligned with the vision of SSSIHL’s Revered Founder-Chancellor Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
