Prof. Ankuran Dutta, currently serving as the Professor and Head of the Department of Communication and Journalism, Gauhati University, is a communication scholar, cultural researcher, and media maker. With over two decades of experience in academia, media, diplomacy and the development sector and hundreds of publications nationally and internationally, he has advanced intercultural dialogue and community media practices significantly.
Prof. Dutta has just completed his tenure as the Director of the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, High Commission of India, Colombo in the Diplomatic rank of First Secretary of the Indian Foreign Service (PLCA) under Indian Council for Cultural Relations of the Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India (December 2022- January 2026). Prior to his diplomatic appointment, he served many organisations where he played a pivotal role in advancing media education in Northeast India.
Recipient of the National Award for Science and Technology Communication (2018) by India’s Ministry of Science and Technology; Best Media Educator at Media and Media Education Summit, 2018 in New Delhi, Prof. Dutta’s contributions bridge scholarly rigour with public communication. His leadership in founding the first community radio station ‘Jnan-Taranga’ and first web radio in Northeast India ‘e-Jnan Taranga’, underscores his commitment to participatory grassroots communication, indegenious cultural outreach and educational broadcasting.
Prof. Dutta is a fellow of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute (York University- 2011) and a US Department of State alumnus (Ohio University-2018). His global experience includes a tenure at Commonwealth of Learning, as the Programme Officer of Livelihood and Skills at Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia, New Delhi (2013–2015), where he supported skills and communication for development across Commonwealth Asia. As a communication scholar, he has authored, edited, or translated over 25 books, published 80+ study materials, and contributed nearly 100 research publications. His media productions include over 1,300 radio and television programmes and 10 documentaries, with thematic focus on culture, education, health, and science. Before joining as a Professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism, Gauhati University in January, 2019, he also served as an Associate Professor in the same department from January 2016 along with the charge of the Head of Department. Dr Dutta’s academic career took off in the year 2004 as the founder of the Media and Communication Study Centre at Cotton College, Guwahati (presently the Department of Mass Communication, Cotton University) and also held the position of Lecturer at the present department of Gauhati University in 2006. In the year 2007, he shifted to KKH State Open University (KKHSOU), Guwahati and rendered positions of Academic Consultant, Assistant Professor, Deputy Director (Multimedia) and Associate Professor & in-charge of Bhupen Hazarika School of Mass Communication.
His international collaborations include projects with UNICEF, UNESCO, COL-CEMCA, UCLA, Essex, Melbourne Universities etc. and he served on the Board of Advisors of Ohio University’s Institute for International Journalism, a member of Executive Committee of Indian Science Writers’ Association and member of advisory panel for reviewing and editing of Lok Sabha Secretariat Publications, Parliament of India. Prof. Dutta’s career exemplifies the integration of media practice, academic scholarship, and cultural diplomacy.
Since assuming office in December 2022, Professor Ankuran Dutta has revitalized the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, formerly Indian Cultural Centre, High Commission of India, Colombo, transforming it into one of Sri Lanka’s most dynamic cultural institutions. Amidst post-pandemic challenges, he led over 1,200 cultural activities across the island in three years, promoting Indian-Sri Lankan cultural ties through innovative translation projects, performances, and heritage initiatives. His work includes first-ever Sinhala translations and performances of Assamese Borgeets, a Pali rendition of Jayadeva’s Gita Govindam, and a pioneering Ramayana puppet play using Sri Lanka’s traditional Rukada Natya. His initiative of translating and recording of Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s ‘Manuhe Manuhor Babe’ in both Tamil and Sinhala was featured at Hon. Prime Minister’s ‘Man Ki Baat’ of September 2025. His efforts in yoga promotion set national records, while literary outreach included audio storytelling, film retrospectives, and major exhibitions like Dhamma-Rupa, Echoes of Enlightenment. During his tenure, some of the most remarkable contributions were the publication of the books ‘Civilisational Twins: Timeless Traditions, Eternal Bonds between India and Sri Lanka’, the illustrated volume ‘Ramayana in Sri Lanka’, and ‘Sacred Shrines of Sri Lanka’, all of which have been widely noted and appreciated.
Communication Today 