Jenish is a PhD scholar, with an interest in understanding and addressing social conflicts and resource-related tensions. His research interests focus on conflicts, particularly in the context of caste, and resource conflicts and their implications for development. He is inclined towards understanding development induced vulnerabilities and how ideas of development must be complemented with ethics and sustainability. He has worked as a Project Associate on a Social Impact Assessment project during 2022-2023. He also takes an interest in history, exploring the annals of the past and complementing them with present dynamics to understand the origins of conflicts. Alongside academic pursuits, he also has a keen interest in studying Indian languages.
Saransh is a PhD Scholar in NIAS. He is a Geographer by training. He completed his graduation and post-graduation from University of Delhi and Delhi School of Economics. Previously, he has worked as associate in the project titled ‘Social Impact Assessment of Kalpasar Dyke in Gulf of Khambhat ‘. He is interested in applications of Remote sensing and Geoinformatics in Impact Assessment Methodologies particularly in large scale projects. As a part of the project, he has developed an in-house digital and offline socio-economic data collection tool, undertook field survey over 90 days, performed analytics and co-authored multiple reports for development agencies. He has presented research papers in international conferences, three of which are in review currently and expecting to be published in near term. His academic interests range from modelling socio-physical phenomena, algorithmic design, Cartography, Statistical analysis among others.
Julian is a PhD candidate at the School of Social Sciences. His doctoral work is at the intersection of sexuality, migration, and masculinity studies. His others research interests include psychometrics, social and cultural psychology and culture studies.
Prior to joining NIAS, Julian completed his Master’s in clinical psychology and Bachelor’s in Journalism, Psychology and Literature both from CHRIST (Deemed to be University) Bengaluru. Professionally, he has worked as a Research Assistant at the Directorate of Educational Research and Training (DERT), Government of Meghalaya and as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology, Assam Don Bosco University.
Arslan Wali Khan is presently pursuing doctoral studies at the School of Social Sciences, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru. He obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Political Science from Aligarh Muslim University. His research interests are in domains such as;
His ongoing Ph.D. investigation is tentatively titled as “The Making and Un-Making of Muslim Ghettos: Tracing the Linkage between Globalization, Ethnic violence and Spatial Segregation in Urban India” This study aims to comprehend the construction of Muslim ghettos in India, elucidating the influence of communal violence and globalization on this phenomenon. To analyze these dynamics, Arslan employs theoretical framework of David Harvey’s “accumulation by dispossession” and Saskia Sassen’s concept of the “global city.”
Divya Hoskere is a PhD scholar at the School of Humanities at NIAS. Her broad area of research includes the study of the Natyashastra, Indian aesthetics and theatrical design. Divya is an accomplished Bharatanatyam artiste and is trained in the traditional puppetry of Karnataka with over 15 years of experience as a national and international performer in both fields.
Divya holds a Master's degree in performing arts - Dance from Jain University and a Bachelor's degree in Communication Design from PES University. She was named as one of the "Cultural Stars to look forward to" in 2022 by The New Indian Express - national edition. She is a recipient of the Scholarship to Young Artists awarded by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and is also a Graded Artiste of Doordarshan. Divya received the Junior Research Fellowship (UGC NET JRF) in the field of Performing Arts in 2022. For more see: www.divyahoskere.com
Ekasmayi Naresh is a PhD scholar at the School of Social Sciences.
She is working with Dr. Shalini Dixit and Dr. Debosree Banerjee. With a background in Psychology, her primary areas of interests include mental health and identity. Her doctoral research focuses on the experience of psychotherapy among people of marginalized sexual and gender identities. The research also looks at how psychotherapy is conceptualized in the work of mental health practitioners and in the education curricula of mental health services. Her work seeks to understand how the social context and membership to an identity group interact with disciplinary practices and application.
Prior to joining NIAS, Ekasmayi completed her Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Manipal Academy of Higher Education, in 2020. She graduated from Christ (deemed to be) University with a Bachelor’s in Psychology, Sociology and English Literature, in 2018. Professionally, she has worked as a researcher and mental health therapist for various public and private sector organizations.