Shaheen Razi at her residence on Thursday. (Bhola Prasad)

A teacher for more than two decades, Shaheen Razi has won a coveted UGC fellowship that will allow her to start a research project on the pros and cons of corporate social responsibility in India.

The dean of arts at Jamshedpur Women’s College, Razi (62) has been awarded the Emeritus Fellowship, a prestigious programme meant to encourage senior or retired teachers to conduct research in their chosen fields of work.

UGC announced the names of the recipients on its website on Wednesday. Razi, an avid researcher who has published two books on rural development, is the only one from Bihar-Jharkhand to bag the fellowship.

“Apart from teaching, research has been my priority since I started my profession. My articles have found place in reputed journals of the country. This fellowship comes as a recognition not only for me but also for my college and the state,” she said.

Razi, who holds masters degree and PhD from Ranchi University, has worked extensively on women’s empowerment and rural development.

The two-year fellowship she has been granted is to facilitate research on how corporate social responsibility has evolved over the years. She will look at the various ways industries were implementing CSR projects and to what extent they benefited the community.

The fellowship comes with a monthly honorarium of Rs 20,000 for two years along with a medical allowance and Rs 50,000 a year as contingency grant.

Also, foreign visits in connection with the approved research work will be limited to once a year.

“The award, I hope, will motivate my students to take up research. I always tell my students to conduct research on anything they feel like. In India, research work is not pursued to a great extent,” said Razi, who will have to submit her findings to UGC after two years.