The department of geography is one of the core departments of the Shivaji University, Kolhapur was established in 1968. At the initial stage the department was established at the behest of the founder Vice-Chancellor Dr. Appasaheb Pawar with one reader, two lecturers and two demonstrators. The department functions under the faculty of science and technology. The department teaches students for the master degree in Geography from both social science and science stream. Currently the department offers M.A./M.Sc. (from 1968), M.Phil. (from 1972), and Ph.D. (from 1972) in Geography as regular academic programme. It has also introduced PG Diploma in Tourism & Travel (from 2006), PG Diploma in Geo-informatics (from 2008) and M.Sc. in Geo-informatics (from 2023) in self-finance mode to train the students for industrial needs. The department is financially supported by the Govt. of Maharashtra. The department also receives research and infrastructure grants under DST-PURSE (2011 onwards), DST-FIST (2012 onwards), and UGC-SAP (2012 onwards) programme of the Govt. of India. Utilizing the financial assistance received from various stakeholders the department has improved its infrastructure to provide better learning environment for the students. The improvement of the knowledge and skills among students are also being reflected in the recent achievements of the students of the department.  Alumni of the department have also contributed in the growth and development of the department. The contribution of the department by way of alarming the stakeholders about potential flood risk in the Panchaganga River is worth mentioning here. The negligence of which has triggered the 2019 severe flood situation in Kolhapur and nearby region. Current focus areas for research in the department includes fluvial geomorphology and watershed development, oceanography and coastal geomorphology, biogeography, geography of population and settlement, geography of tourism and culture, agricultural geography, geo-hazards assessment, monitoring and management, resource appraisal using remote sensing and GIS, regional planning and development.

It is a premier geography department in India, having a holistic academic curriculum in the discipline of Geography, offers opportunities to students of the south western Maharashtra region in general and Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara district in particular. The department also offers some discipline specific short term diploma and value added courses for upgrading the skills and employability of enrolled students. Many students of the department are coming from outside of the state’s geographical boundaries. Need based social outreach programmes and extra-curricular events are also being organized time to time. Faculty members of the department are well-versed and experienced in their respective domain and have showcased their research outcomes in the international arena. Participation and offering help in the decision making process of the policy makers, flood risk assessment, identification of drought prone zones, landslide susceptibility mapping, mapping of the coastal and seafloor landscape, analyzing the impact of climate change, planning and mapping of the urban and cultural landscape, reviewing the health status among under-privileged, and identification of potential tourism sites are a few examples of such society-oriented research being done by the department. Currently, the department is equipped with smart classroom, overhead LCD projection system, digital board, computer laboratory, Wi-Fi, state of art GIS laboratory with advanced and up-to-date mapping software, state of art instruments, a separate departmental library and meeting hall to provide students and research scholars an effective learning environment. The department also encourages and facilitates scholars to pursue their career in higher studies and conducting research with ethics and academic integrity in the field of geography and allied disciplines.

Core Values of the Department:

Honesty and academic integrity to achieve the objectives set for the courses and programmes;

Mutual respect and sense of responsibility among faculty members, staffs, scholars and students;

Accountability to all stakeholders, and responsibility to fulfill the needs of the society;

Following high ethical standards in conducting research, collaborative works, and quality publications;

Encouraging student’s creativity and innovation in research, and development of leadership qualities and professional skills;

Passion and positive attitude towards lifelong teaching and learning;

Fairness, trustworthiness and caring for students;

Nurturing young talents and providing all possible supports for the holistic development of students as a good human being.

Future Roadmap & Direction:

Upgradation of research infrastructure of the department;

To set up an exclusive geochemical laboratory and dedicated seminar hall;

To set up a regional centre of remote sensing and GIS for research and consultancy services;

New four weeks certificate course in surveying and GIS;

Regular revision of curriculum and strengthening the departmental library and laboratories;

More efforts for quality publications;

MoUs with regional and national like minded institutions to strengthen academic co-operations;

MoUs with industries for hands on training to students;

Providing consultancy services as per needs of the region.

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