Research Internship for Humanities & Social Science Students

Focus: AI & Society

Location: Kolkata

Mode: hybrid

We are inviting applications for a Research Internship (In office / Hybrid in South Kolkata) under our new initiative: "PURPOSIVE AI: AI Capability Development & Human-Centred AI Adoption".

? Target Audience: The internship is intended especially for students and research aspirants from Humanities and Social Sciences, including Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Political Science, Education, Development Studies, Economics, Management and related areas. (Note: This is a social science and human-centred research role, not a software engineering position).

? Location: South Kolkata (Candidates must be based in/near Kolkata for regular on-site interactions).

https://purposiveai.com

? Central Research Question

How can individuals, organisations, and communities develop the capability to adopt and use AI meaningfully?

? Explore 3 Research Domains:

AI Capability, Adaptability & Human Development

AI Inclusion, Livelihoods & Socio-Technical Development

** Human–AI Interaction, Intent Discovery & Adaptable AI

? Who Should Apply?

Background: 4th-year Undergraduate students, Postgraduate students, or research aspirants preparing for doctoral studies in Sociology, Psychology, Political Science, Education, Development Studies, Social Work, Economics, Management, or related disciplines.

Technical Skills: Advanced programming knowledge is not required, but familiarity with AI tools and platforms is required. We are seeking candidates eager to examine AI through a human, behavioural, social, and developmental lens.





? Key Responsibilities & Internship Details

Activities: Literature reviews, conceptual framework development, research instrument design, case studies, pilot study implementation, and co-authoring research papers/reports.

Duration: 3–6 Months (Part-time)

Mode: Hybrid / On-site (South Kolkata Office)

Nature: Unpaid Academic Research Internship

? How to Apply

Interested applicants based in Kolkata should email their CV along with a 200–300 word note explaining their background and preferred research domain to:

? [email protected]

Why should you join this internship?

"AI is not only transforming technology—it is reshaping how people learn, work, make decisions and participate in society. This internship is an opportunity to research these changes, work on emerging real-world questions, and contribute to frameworks that can make AI more meaningful, inclusive and human-centred."

Prof. Somprakash Bandyopadhyay

Former Professor, IIM Calcutta, IIT Kharagpur and IIT Bombay

ICT for Development & AI-for-ALL | Social Innovation | Program & Evaluation Advisory https://purposiveai.com

About Us

Purposive AI is a new research and practice initiative of our Center for Career and Life Design Counselling, focused on AI Capability Development and Human-Centred AI Adoption. It explores how individuals, organisations and communities can develop the capability to adopt and use AI meaningfully, with emphasis on AI adaptability, inclusion and livelihoods, human–AI interaction, and socio-technical approaches to AI adoption.

https://mylifedesign.co.in

📌 Research Internship on AI & SOCIETY for Social Science & Humanities (Kolkata)
🏢 Center for Career and Life-Design Counselling
📍 Kolkata