Training Programmes in Research

Psychology and Neuroscience of Art and Aesthetics

This course lies at the intersection of arts and sciences and introduces students to aesthetic science, psychology of art and creativity, and the exciting field of neuroaesthetics.

Introduction to Social and Cognitive Neuroscience

This course introduces basic neuroanatomy and discusses how different neuroscience methods are used, and what the current state of understanding is about the brain bases of human cognition and human social behaviour.

Scientific Thinking and Research Methods

This course will help gain an understanding of the scientific method and how research in psychology, social sciences, and other related fields is planned, implemented, and communicated. 

While our courses are tailored to be accessible to everyone, we suggest students in Grade 10 and below to get in touch with us for more customised curricula. 

Psychology and Neuroscience of Art and Aesthetics

Anyone with a curious mind is welcome, irrespective of your field. No prior knowledge of psychology or art is required.

Introduction to Social and Cognitive Neuroscience

Anyone with a curious mind is welcome, irrespective of your field. No prior knowledge of psychology or neuroscience is required. 

Scientific Thinking and Research Methods

Anyone with basic knowledge of mathematics & statistics (mean, median, mode) and a curious mind is welcome. While there are no specific prerequisites, the course materials will be more suited to undergraduate students (Year 2 onwards) and Masters students in social sciences. 

Modules usually run for 20 weeks or 4-6 months, and lectures are for 2 hours once a week. For specific dates and timetables, please send us an email.

Most of our classes are offered hybrid, i.e., both in-person and online. In-person attendance is encouraged. 

For the Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience module, and the Statistics module, lectures will take place in the Psychology Department of Fergusson College, Pune, India. 

For the Psychology of Art and Aesthetics module, classes with take place in Muttha Chambers, Senapati Bapat Road, Pune, India. These venues may change in the future, so please reach out to use regarding course availability and course-specific timetables.

While a publication is not the direct outcome of any course, students will have the opportunity to develop their research interests and come up with research questions they would like to pursue. 

Students will also have the opportunity to work with ARISA Foundation either during or after the training course on existing and new projects in the fields of aesthetics, psychology of art and creativity, and social/cognitive neuroscience. Students will be included in publications as authors if they contribute to these research projects. For more details regarding internship applications, please write to us. 

We value first-hand experience and application-based learning in all our courses. Our assignments and lectures are designed such that students can apply theories of aesthetic science on museum visits, get first-hand experience with how neuroscience data from MRI scanners look like, and plan, carry out, and communicate findings from a research project (depending on the course you do).

Psychology and Neuroscience of Art and Aesthetics

This course will enable you to apply principles of aesthetic science, and the psychology and neuroscience of art and creativity to every-day life, a skill especially important for those who choose to work as researchers in these fields, or those working in creative design professions, or arts.

Introduction to Social and Cognitive Neuroscience

This course will give you a basic understanding of theories and methods in social and cognitive neuroscience, with a basic introduction to how neuroscience data looks like, and what it can tell us about the brain. This course is for students who are curious about how the human brain and mind support human cognition and social behaviour, and and will support students wanting to further pursue higher education or careers psychology, neuroscience, computational science and related fields. 

Scientific Thinking and Research Methods

This course will enable students to plan and execute research projects, and analyse and visualise data. It is especially a foundational course for those wanting to pursue careers in academia in social sciences or related fields, as well as for students aiming to pursue industry positions in psychometric test development, design research or related fields. 

For each module and lecture, a list of recommended articles or blog posts to read will be provided to the students, and these papers will be made available freely to the students. Any books that are available with the foundation, and that students would like to additionally read can be loaned (free of cost) either online (e-book) or in-person (physical copy). 

Each module has a different set of assessments designed to apply knowledge learned during the module to practice. Assessment types include essays, museum visits, or presentation of a research idea etc. You can find more details in the pdf here. 

For each module, ARISA Foundation invites guest lectures and international faculty to deliver lectures for students. Students will have the opportunity to hear from and also interact with experts in the field.

Each training course is priced differently. Please contact us for further details on the cost structure. 

We offer need-based (full and partial) scholarships to 20% of the total cohort. Please get in touch with us for further details and the application form.