Professional Experience

• 3 decades in research, monitoring & evaluation and data analytics.
• Sector experience across health, nutrition, water & sanitation, and rural development
• Led over 200 large-scale studies in India and internationally
• Extensive field experience – Width of experience to leverage practical insights into the classroom to bridge the gap between theoretical and applied skills for learners
• Worked as Senior Advisor on research projects for the Government of India, NITI Aayog, BMGF and RIF
• Contributed in a Senior Consultant capacity to Sambodhi Capacity Building and Learning Institute to support project execution and professional training in Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL), Data Analytics and AI for public policy

Qualifications:

• University of Georgia (2004) – Professional Certification in Principles of Marketing Research (helped build a strong foundation in qualitative and quantitative methodologies)

Specializations:

• Data analysis and capacity building
• Course design to connect technical skills to evidence based decision making
• 16-17 week training sessions covering topics like MEL for development professionals, data insights for public policy and AI for public policy implementation

Approach:

• Highly interactive and learner focused
• Bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application
• Support hands-on experience in multivariate analysis, statistical modelling and research project management with focus on academic and professional success

Other Experience:

• Conducted specialized training for government officials including those with the State Government of Meghalaya
• Conducted sessions at NILRD and Delhi School of Economics
• Cater to diverse learning needs and tailor teaching methods accordingly

Professional Summary

Dr. Rajib Nandi is a senior development researcher, evaluator, and capacity-building leader with nearly three decades of experience across research, monitoring and evaluation, and institutional strengthening. His work sits at the intersection of gender-transformative research, evidence-informed decision-making, and capacity development, with a strong focus on translating theory into practice for real-world impact.

Experience:

• Nearly 30 years of experience in development research, evaluation, and organizational development
• Sectoral expertise spanning women’s economic empowerment, livelihoods, health, rural development, environment, and governance
• Led and advised on 100+ national and international research and evaluation projects across South Asia and Southeast Asia

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Sociology (2002), Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
• M.Phil. in Applied Economics (1995), Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram
• IPDET – International Program for Development Evaluation (2019), University of Bern

Areas of Specialization:

• Research & Evaluation
  Expertise in feminist, intersectional, and equity-focused qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method research and evaluation.
• M.Phil. in Applied Economics (1995), Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram
• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)
  Designing and strengthening MEL systems that enable learning, accountability, and adaptive decision-making.
• Data Analysis, Sensemaking & Knowledge Translation
  Converting complex data into meaningful insights, narratives, and learning products for diverse stakeholders.
• Leadership & Capacity Development
  Extensive experience in mentoring professionals, facilitating executive learning, and strengthening institutional and ecosystem-level capacities.

Professional Engagements:

• Worked extensively with UN agencies, bilateral and multilateral organizations, governments, philanthropies, and CSR foundations
• Served as programme lead and technical advisor on projects for the Government of India, UN system, IDRC, and Ford Foundation
• Deep field engagement across South and Southeast Asia, including supervision and design of large-scale field research

Approach to Teaching and Consulting:

• Participatory, reflective, and outcome-oriented
• Strong emphasis on theory–practice integration
• Focus on surfacing tacit knowledge, critical reflection, and real-world application
• Encourages systems thinking, ethical reflexivity, and contextual sensitivity

Other Professional Roles:

• Chairperson, Community of Evaluators – South Asia
• Co-founder, Evaluation Community of India
• Member, International Evaluation Academy
• Editorial Board Member, Evaluation and Program Planning (Elsevier)
• Faculty contributor, Asia Pacific Winter Schools on Monitoring & Evaluation (Young and Emerging Evaluators)
• Former Guest Faculty, School of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi; University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka

Passions:

• Advancing gender equality and social justice through evidence.
• Building evaluation and learning ecosystems in the Global South.
• Mentoring early- and mid-career professionals in research, evaluation, and leadership.
• Bridging academic rigor with policy relevance and practice

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Geography (2002), Gujarat University, Ahmedabad
• M.A. in Geography (1998), Gujarat University, Ahmedabad (Ranked First)
• B.Sc. (Hons.) in Geography (1996), Presidency College, University of Calcutta

Areas of Specialization:

• Gender, Space & Urban Studies
  Research on gendered spatialities, public space, urban cultures, segregation, and conviviality in Indian cities.
• M.Phil. in Applied Economics (1995), Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram
• Media, Digital Cultures & Knowledge Production
  Expertise in media studies, digital geographies, heritage, and the role of popular and new media in shaping identities and public discourse.
• Qualitative and Interpretive Methodologies
  Deep experience in ethnography, historical methods, discourse analysis, and critical qualitative research.
• Pedagogy, Curriculum Design & Capacity Building
  Long-standing engagement in teaching, mentoring, curriculum innovation, and training educators and researchers.

Professional Engagements:

• Joint Editor, Annals of the National Association of Geographers India (NAGI)
• Editorial Board Member, Annals of the Association of American Geographers (AAG)
• Member, Working Group on Cultural Geography, Asian Geographers’ Association
• Delivered keynote lectures, invited talks, and conference presentations across India, Europe, and Asia

Approach to Teaching and Advisory Work:

• Strong grounding in critical and interpretive traditions
• Emphasis on context, reflexivity, and ethics in research and learning
• Integrates theory with empirical inquiry and everyday lived experience
• Encourages dialogic, participatory, and interdisciplinary learning spaces

Passions:

• Understanding cities as lived, gendered, and contested space
• Exploring media and digital cultures as sites of power, memory, and resistance
• Mentoring young scholars and practitioners, especially women and first-generation academics
• Bridging academic research with public discourse and policy debates

Professional Summary

Dr. Aparajita De is a senior academic, researcher, and public intellectual with over two decades of experience in interdisciplinary research, teaching, and knowledge production. Her work brings together gender, urban studies, media, culture, space, and historical geography, with a strong emphasis on qualitative inquiry, critical theory, and socially engaged scholarship. She is widely recognized for her contributions to debates on cities, identity, public space, heritage, and digital cultures in South Asia. She is currently Professor of Geography at the Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, and has held progressive academic leadership roles across teaching, research supervision, editorial work, and international collaborations.

Experience:

• 20+ years of experience in academic research, teaching, and interdisciplinary knowledge production
• Extensive engagement with themes of gender, media, urbanization, public space, heritage, identity, and cultural politics
• Supervised 12 M.Phil and 5 Ph.D. scholars (awarded) and currently supervising doctoral research
• Led and contributed to nationally and internationally funded research projects

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Geography (2002), Gujarat University, Ahmedabad
• M.A. in Geography (1998), Gujarat University, Ahmedabad (Ranked First)
• B.Sc. (Hons.) in Geography (1996), Presidency College, University of Calcutta

Areas of Specialization:

• Gender, Space & Urban Studies
  Research on gendered spatialities, public space, urban cultures, segregation, and conviviality in Indian cities.
• Media, Digital Cultures & Knowledge Production
  Expertise in media studies, digital geographies, heritage, and the role of popular and new media in shaping identities and public discourse.
• Qualitative and Interpretive Methodologies
  Deep experience in ethnography, historical methods, discourse analysis, and critical qualitative research.
• Pedagogy, Curriculum Design & Capacity Building
  Long-standing engagement in teaching, mentoring, curriculum innovation, and training educators and researchers.

Professional Engagements:

• Joint Editor, Annals of the National Association of Geographers India (NAGI)
• Editorial Board Member, Annals of the National Association of Geographers India (NAGI)
• Member, Working Group on Cultural Geography, Asian Geographers’ Association
• Delivered keynote lectures, invited talks, and conference presentations across India, Europe, and Asia

Approach to Teaching and Advisory Work:

• Strong grounding in critical and interpretive traditions
• Emphasis on context, reflexivity, and ethics in research and learning
• Integrates theory with empirical inquiry and everyday lived experience
• Encourages dialogic, participatory, and interdisciplinary learning spaces

Passions:

• Understanding cities as lived, gendered, and contested spacess
• Exploring media and digital cultures as sites of power, memory, and resistance
• Mentoring young scholars and practitioners, especially women and first-generation academics
• Bridging academic research with public discourse and policy debates

Professional Summary

Nilanjan Bal is an emerging scholar and applied researcher in urban and peri-urban studies, geospatial analytics, and climate-resilient planning, with a strong interdisciplinary orientation combining geography, spatial science, and data-driven policy analysis. His work focuses on understanding climate change–induced transformations in urban and transition spaces, with particular attention to resilient infrastructure, place-making, and planning imaginaries. He is currently a Senior Research Fellow (Ph.D. Scholar) at the Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, where his doctoral research examines geospatial planning frameworks for resilient physical infrastructure in peri-urban areas. His research integrates advanced geocomputational methods, machine learning, and spatial-statistical analysis to inform grounded, context-sensitive public policy.

Experience

• Early-career researcher with strong applied research experience in urban, peri-urban, and regional planning
• Extensive hands-on expertise in geospatial data analytics, spatial modeling, and climate-related urban research
• Experience in field-based socio-economic surveys, data supervision, and large-scale spatial data integration
• Published in high-impact international peer-reviewed journals in geography and urban studies

Qulalification

• Ph.D. (Pursuing) in Geography, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi
• M.A. in Geography (2019–2021), Banaras Hindu University
• B.A. (Hons.) in Geography (2016–2019), University of North Benga
• Qualified UGC-NET (JRF & Assistant Professor) and WBCS-SET

Areas of Specialization:

• Urban, Peri-Urban & Climate-Resilient Planning
  Research on climate change impacts, infrastructure resilience, land-use transitions, and planning in urban and peri-urban contexts.
• Geospatial Analytics & Remote Sensing
  Advanced use of GIS, satellite imagery, geostatistics, and spatial modeling for environmental and urban analysis.
• Machine Learning & Geocomputational Methods
  Application of ML/DL, simulation models, and scenario-building for understanding complex spatial systems.
• Data Integration, Visualization & Digital Modeling
  Expertise in large-scale data handling, spatial visualization, dashboards, 3D modeling, and digital twin frameworks.

Professional Engagements

• Published in Annals of the American Association of Geographers and The Professional Geographer
• Active engagement with policy-relevant research , targeting evidence-based planning and decision-making
• Experience coordinating field teams and supporting interdisciplinary research projects

Approach to Teaching and Advisory Work

• Strong emphasis on methodological rigor and computational innovation
• Applying geospatial intelligence to inform equitable and resilient development
• Advancing the use of machine learning and digital modeling in spatial planning
• Contributing to evidence-based public policy and sustainable urban futures

Experience:

• Over 6 years of professional experience in research, data analytics, and consulting across multiple sectors including health, nutrition, livelihood, and public policy.
• Worked on projects spanning data-driven insights, policy evaluation, and monitoring & evaluation (MEL) in India.
• Hands-on experience in applying machine learning models such as Linear Regression, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, and SVR to social and demographic datasets.

Qualifications:

• Master’s in data science (Germany) and master’s in economics (India), providing a strong foundation in quantitative and analytical methods.
• Extensive project and field experience in research, data analytics, and policy evaluation, bridging theory and practical application for effective learning.
• Contributed to Sambodhi Capacity Building and Learning Institute as a faculty for their course on AI/ML for development professionals.
• Experience with government and donor agencies, including research, evaluation, and policy support.

Specializations:

• Data analysis and policy recommendations for policy and development projects.
• Predictive modeling and AI application in social sector and public policy.
• Designing and delivering training modules connecting technical skills to evidence-based decision-making.
• Training sessions covering MEL, data-driven decision-making, and AI for policy implementation.

Approach:

• Highly interactive and learner focused.
• Bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application.
• Strong focus on hands-on application and real-world datasets.
• Tailors learning for diverse professional backgrounds.

Passions:

• Making data literacy analytics and AI tools accessible to professionals across sectors.
• Enabling understanding of not just data analysis, but also meaningful interpretation for actionable insights.
• Focus on teaching skills which are relevant, practical and impactful in today’s data-driven world.