Faculty Profiles
Academic Leadership at the Intersections of Knowledge and Praxis
The Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies fosters an academic culture where interdisciplinary inquiry thrives. As a distinguished research centre dedicated to exploring the socio-political, economic, cultural, and ethical dynamics shaping South Asia and its diasporic communities, the Institute promotes a model of academic leadership that integrates rigorous scholarship with real-world engagement.
Under the direction of Dr. Rajiv K. Menon, the Institute embraces a partnership philosophy that values both scholarly excellence and responsiveness to pressing social and policy-related challenges. Our academic ethos supports research that is intellectually sophisticated yet attentive to the needs of communities, institutions, and policy-makers.
The Institute’s academic community includes Sundar Singh Fellows and Affiliated Faculty from a broad range of disciplines. While grounded in the methods and traditions of their respective fields, our scholars frequently cross disciplinary boundaries to advance research that connects critical theory with practical action. Their work consistently reflects a shared commitment to linking academic inquiry with ethical and transformative engagement.
Since 2020, the Institute’s publication record has demonstrated this commitment—addressing the moral and intellectual complexities of rapid socio-economic transformations in South Asia and beyond. Through these contributions, the Sundar Singh Institute continues to serve as a thought leader for both regional and global policy discourse.
Dr. Rajiv K. Menon
Head of Faculty, Professor of Political Science and Governance
Dr Rajiv K. Menon is one of the leading theories of South Asian political thought today. He has made considerable scholarly contributions to public conversation around the topics of democratic governance, institutional change, and post-colonial resilience. His work critically examines the structural challenges embedded in democratic practice, particularly in democracies that are historically marginalised and have features of inequity. Dr Menon draws on alternate frameworks for nation-building and civic engagement in South Asia to provocatively elaborate – as things presently stand – on the reconstituted praxis of constitutional democracy in the Global South.
Dr. Menon’s scholarship remains cutting-edge and well-known around the world, much of it in South Asia, where he has an extensive consultative role with government agencies and policy institutions related to legislative reforms. His unique situation, based on the thoughtful social science analysis of a political scientist and the reflexive sensibilities of a member of the South Asian diaspora, imbues him with a unique perspective on how to contribute positively as an intermediary between scholarly concepts and the practices of public policy.
Dr Menon is an extremely influential educator and public intellectual who articulates “taking” a view of governance narrowly as normative measures, but importantly as in liveable practice of justice, human dignity, and inclusive, agency of an engaged citizenry. His published works are now considered foundational reference points for policy scholars and practitioners who are enormously troubled by and at the service of contemporary entanglements of political authority, participatory democracy and ethical statecraft in an increasingly globalised world.
The Right Reverend Dr Isaac S. Sato
Professor of Religious Ethics and Public Theology
Director, Centre for Religion, Ethics and Public Life
The Right Reverend Dr Isaac S. Sato is widely recognized as one of Asia’s foremost scholars in Religious Ethics and Public Theology. His research integrates theoretical depth with practical relevance, offering a critical yet constructive perspective on the ethical roles of religious traditions amid the socio-political transformations of the 21st century.
Drawing on Christian social thought, political ethics, and decolonial theory, Dr Sato explores how faith communities engage with justice, pluralism, and the moral obligations of democratic citizenship. His work consistently highlights the intersection between theological commitment and public responsibility.
As both a prolific scholar and an institution builder, Dr Sato has advanced the role of theology within interdisciplinary discourse. As the inaugural Director of the Centre for Religion, Ethics and Public Life, he has positioned the Centre as a leading international hub for research and policy dialogue—placing theological insight at the heart of civic, ethical, and global inquiry. Under his leadership, the Centre has earned a global reputation for developing theologically-informed ethical responses to urgent issues such as forced migration, ecological breakdown, and democratic backsliding.
As an educator, Dr Sato is deeply respected for his mentorship of early-career scholars and aspiring public leaders. Combining intellectual rigor with moral clarity, he encourages his students to transform scholarly insight into public service. His role as a policy advisor to intergovernmental bodies, international NGOs, and ethics consortia reflects his commitment to connecting tradition-based ethical reasoning with the practical demands of today’s complex political and social realities.
Dr. Eleanor W. Hughes
Professor of Philosophy and Ethics
Dr. Eleanor W. Hughes has carved an important and enduring role in the contemporary ethical and philosophical discourse in and surrounding social justice, human rights, and the moral foundations of the public sphere. We see that her scholarship is keenly aware, valuably anchored in an attention to normative clarity and the ethical praxis of human actors. She occupies an immediate position of significance at the heart of ethical deliberations on environmental ethics, bioethics, meditation, and the moral implications of technology.
Dr. Hughes’s research has generally revolved around issues of sustainability, public health ethics, and social philosophy related to global governance, as well as themes such as justice and dignity. Her scholarship advances a direct moral response to both academic and policy thinking. The gap between the theoretical field of ethics and real-world ethical applications is one that Dr. Hughes fills, and does so in an impactful way that has been appreciated by all levels of governance from international organizations that govern states, to state institutions that govern citizens and alike. She does this with intellectual integrity and remarkable practical impact, credibly correlating ethical theory and action (and often reminding us that we are called to act in a manner that acknowledges the honorable human endeavors that make up governance). In a world with a reputation for acts of climate injustice and biomedical regulation, the contribution that Dr. Hughes makes to institutions and organizations at all levels of governance is much needed.
Dr. Hughes’s influence now extends well beyond academia. The work that she produces ultimately informs and defines how the discourse of ethics will understand and respond to the relationships between power and vulnerability, ecological sustainability and techno-scientific change, and human dignity and structured-hierarchical inequity. As a public, ethical philosophical voice and educator, she embodies the philosopher as a instigator for a sense of moral clarity in a world that often feels ethically blurred and ambiguous (and often confusing).
Dr. Anjali R. Kapoor
Professor of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development
Dr. Anjali R. Kapoor is a recognized expert on environmental governance and sustainable development with a South Asian perspective. Her interdisciplinary research explores the interconnections among urbanisation, climate change, and socio-environmental justice. More specifically, the issues of climate adaptation and urban environmental governance have been focal points of Dr. Kapoor’s research in recent years. In her work, Dr. Kapoor seeks to understand how and in what ways environmental change is connected to socio-economic and development-related inequalities and how environmental change itself can be informed by and therefore change socio-economic and development inequalities.
The fieldwork associated with Dr. Kapoor’s research has had major implications for policy development especially in contexts where established notions of sustainability fail to incorporate the lived realities of marginalised communities. Dr. Kapoor’s research has shifted the emphasis of the environmental policy discourse to equity-oriented allocation models of resources that are inclusive, resilient, and allow for community agency. She has worked with various empirical-backed studies to create linkages with government and international organisations that help in shaping various climate justice actions across the region.
Recognised for the methodological sophistication and real-world implications of her work, civil society organisations, government bodies, and global policy platforms regularly engage with Dr. Kapoor. Her scholarship reflects a form of scholarship that is analytically rigorous and has a transformative ambition, given the current worldly predicaments stemming from the acceleration ecological crises.
Prof. Saroj T. Varma
Chair in Economic and Social Development
Professor Saroj T. Varma is one of the leading political economy scholars in South Asia; he is best known for studies in the fields of poverty alleviation, fiscal federalism, and labor market reforms. His research emphasizes the social structure that determines socio-economic inequality and identifies economically marginalizing economic policies that do not account for the social and political contexts that underpin marginalization.
As an empirical researcher exploring inter-governmental monetary transfers and internal labor migration Professor Varma’s research has successfully established a collective vision of national development policy in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. His research underpins significant policy decisions reflected in charity, planning commission and other policy documents; furthermore, leading international organizations like the World Bank, UNDP, ILO, and IMF often contract him to provide intellectual interventions in matters pertaining to inclusive economic growth.
In addition to being a historical scholar, Professor Varma is a committed intellectual and a public intellectual for models of economic growth anchored in justice as well as efficiency. His vision of development as a form of social transformation continues to tries to break hegemonic, market based ways of thinking about and doing development, as well as identifies equitable, participatory and dignified approaches to economic growth as indispensable to sustainable development. His asking continues to matter for social policy development in South Asia and beyond.
The Reverend Dr Andrew Hyunwoo Kim
Professor of International Relations and South Asian Diplomacy
The Revd Dr Andrew Hyunwoo Kim is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work sits at the critical junction of diplomacy, theology, and international relations in the Indo-Pacific region. His research provides an ethical lens through which to understand foreign policy, intercultural dialogue, and peacemaking within contexts marked by religious and ethnic pluralism.
Dr Kim’s contributions are distinguished by their historical and theoretical depth, coupled with a practical awareness of diplomatic realities in South Asia. He has served as a policy advisor in Track II diplomatic engagements, fostering understanding between South and East Asian nations through innovative, non-traditional approaches. His scholarship offers nuanced insight into the moral imperatives underpinning diplomacy, particularly as it relates to national security, cultural representation, and the ethical dimensions of statecraft.
Frequently cited in both academic and policy-making spheres, Dr Kim exemplifies a model of scholarship that bridges theory and practice. His work is essential reading for those seeking to understand diplomacy not merely as strategy, but as a vocation grounded in ethical accountability and intercommunal respect in an increasingly volatile global order.
Prof. Helena von Strauss
Professor of Historical Sociology
Senior Fellow of the Centre for Religion, Ethics and Public Life
Professor Helena von Strauss is an internationally renowned scholar of historical sociology who reconceptualizes our comprehension of collective memory, cultural identity, and postcolonial historiography in South Asia. Her work seeks to interrogate the narratives that societies create about themselves: who is remembered, how memory is institutionalized, and whose histories are rendered absent and invisible. In particular, she engages with colonial histories and the contested terrain of postcolonial state formation in order to map the sociological dynamics that shape historical consciousness. Her work highlights the political and ethical concerns surrounding cultural remembrance and illuminates the asymmetries in power mobilized through heritage, public memory, and national historiography.
Professor von Strauss is regularly approached by heritage institutions, consular organizations, and cultural policy agents working in the spaces between memory, justice, and identity. Her work is critical to the preservation of cultural heritage whilst addressing the disturbing legacies of colonial violence and social exclusion. Ultimately, as both theorist and practitioner, she exemplifies the intellectual rigor and applied orientation of the Institute.
Dr. Ravi Iyer
Professor of Social Policy and Public Health
Dr. Ravi Iyer is a prominent scholar of social policy and public health, with a specific focus on structural health inequities in South Asia. His research explores the socio-political contexts of health and provides empirical evidence about how marginalized populations navigate the health care system or completely disengage from it. Dr. Iyer’s research reflects a commitment to health justice, emphasizing accessibility, sustainability, and ethical frameworks that align with the lived experience of vulnerable populations and communities.
Using rigorous fieldwork and collaborative policy development, Dr. Iyer has been instrumental in developing community-based health care systems that build upon public health systems by integrating local knowledge with evidence. His research has provided direct input into the national and regional health governance frameworks and includes international development programming focused on inclusive health reform.
Dr. Iyer is respected within academia as well as within government and civil societies, because the model of scholarly research he offers denies the divide between theory and practice. His research provides and advocates for a vision of health care as a basic right and continues to influence equitable public health policy beyond South Asia.
Dr. David A. Chatterjee
Professor of Global Justice and Human Rights
Dr. David A. Chatterjee is an influential scholar in global justice and human rights whose research critically assesses the moral and institutional shortcomings of contemporary international governance. His work inquires into questions of forced migration, statelessness, and refugee agency from a viewpoint of decolonial ethics of justice that begin from a critique of the Eurocentrism that underpins and excuses contemporary international law and humanitarian aid.
Through a case-study method and other ethically conscious policy work, Dr. Chatterjee pursues a reimagining of human rights practices informed by the Global South. His research has shaped global conversations about refugee protection, and is regularly cited by UN agencies, international NGOs and human rights commissions. He provides a significant voice for those displaced by armed conflict, climate change, and structural injustice, and makes a case for recreating sovereignty and citizenship that is grounded in human dignity.
Dr. Chatterjee’s work is equally theoretical as it is operational. His scholarship has become foundational to shifting policies that seek to humanise legal frameworks governing migration and asylum. In doing so, he provides a compelling vision of justice based on ethical accountability, historical liability, and agents of transformative global solidarity.
Dr. Priya Deshmukh
Professor of Gender Studies and Social Equity
Senior Fellow of the Centre for Religion, Ethics and Public Life
Dr. Priya Deshmukh is one of the most important living scholars in gender studies and social change in South Asia. Her scholarship examines how our understandings of gender, power, and structural injustice have overlapping relations in courageously critical ways, linking feminist scholarship, political economy, and legal critique. Her efforts interrogate the historical and cultural patterns of exclusion based on gender, and provide ideas about the forms of structural remedy.
Dr. Deshmukh’s scholarship has been really important in academia and the development of policy. Her critiques and analyses of the forms of gendered oppression in geo-cultural and socio-legal social contexts in the region have served to develop (government policy) and encourage changes in legislation. Her work is often citied in cases, state provisions in constitutions, public forms of gender-based oppression, and cities’ social policy agendas designed to mitigate inequalities faced by women and other gendered minorities.
As a committed gender justice advocate, Dr. Deshmukh is known for her ability to link theoretical development with practice. She joins voices with other movements to support not simply the idea of inclusion, but rather the reconstruction of new public and institutional space for the sake of social equity. Dr. Deshmukh’s work is a strong example of a scholar activist model: intellectually rigorous, rooted by principle, and courageous in demanding social change.
Dr. Lars M. Schneider
Associate Professor of Comparative Legal Studies and Governance
Dr. Lars M. Schneider is a leading researcher in comparative legal systems and governance reform that examines the emergence and development of legal institutions in transitional and postcolonial societies. His work reflects tensions between formal legal institutions and lived social realities, with a particular focus on South Asian examples of governance reform shaped by colonial histories and new democratic aspirations.
Dr. Schneider’s scholarship raises fundamental inquiries about constitutional legitimacy, regulatory innovation, and the ability of legal systems to adapt to environmental, social, and economic changes. His scholarship has been widely published and may be quoted as authoritative reference texts in governmental commissions and other reform initiatives in South Asia. Dr. Schneider has advised a suite of national and international organizations and has defined the conversation around access to law, judicial independence, and administrative transparency.
Dr. Schneider epitomizes applied legal scholarship at the Institute. He champions a view of law as more than a fixed structure but as a living manifestation of justice that is responsive to democratic participation, citizen inclusiveness, and ethical governance. In doing so he models the promise of law as long as it is located within an historical consciousness and grounded in a normative framework.
The Reverend Dr Benjamin Jisoo Yoon
Associate Professor of South Asian Studies, Cultural Anthropology, and Ethnography
Fellow of the Centre for Religion, Ethics and Public Life
The Reverend Dr Benjamin Jisoo Yoon is an accomplished academic who works in cultural anthropology as a researcher with an ethnographic focus that offers rich contributor perspectives about the experiential quality of living in South Asian communities confronting tradition, modernity, and transformative socio-political realities. His work is not only ethnographic, encompassing extensive field visits to rural and urban South Asian sites, but also reflective of the rich experiential substrata of South Asian communities using religious, memory-scapes, and identity constructions in their social and temporal positioning in the contemporary world.
Dr Yoon’s work has targeted cultural avoidance while also addressed issues of ethics, particularly where marginalised communities are trying to maintain their practices and artefacts from the pressures of ideologies of development and change. The ethnographies he works produce an account of the becoming of culture – cultural productions (rituals, festivals, oral histories etc.) become sites of continuity and contestation.
Dr Yoon has regularly worked with, and been consulted, by heritage agencies, inter-government organisations, and ministries of culture, combining the rigour of the academy with ethnography that ethically engages responsibility. He counsels researchers to move beyond.” as an academic label; instead he argues that list of cultural and heritage related research should change to honour where the dignity and agency of research participants; keep historical and contemporary values as scale on one sides and strive to “”translate”” culturally insightful policy practices for preservation. The scholar that is dedicated to activist ethno- documentarion acts as a source of usable information for policy engaged while displaying cultural pride and agency. In, “Engagement Fieldnotes,” Dr Yoon calls on the ethnographic approach “as a mediating role of the scholar [in theirself] as social actors for justice-oriented cultural engagement.”
Dr Sunita Rao
Associate Professor of South Asian Studies, Education, and Social Reform
Dr Sunita Rao’s attention to educational governance and social development in South Asia marks her as an eminent scholar with an analytical account of the intersections of caste, gender, geography and policy that shape access to education and pathways to equity. Her work examines systemic barriers to social mobility, and the educational transformative nature of both an education as a right, and a mean for social justice.
Dr Rao’s empirical studies have established the basis for education reform at both national and international levels. Working with government agencies such as India’s Ministry of Human Resource Development, and global agencies such as UNICEF, she has established frameworks for inclusive education that are sensitive to structural inequities of rural and marginalised contexts. Her work has been translated into development reports and policy frameworks for nurturing human capital, and community coherence.
Dr Rao’s concept of education is not solely reflective of institutional reform but an understanding of pedagogy as a social vehicle for empowerment. Dr Rao’s scholarship is an exceptional synthesis of research and advocacy, whereby she grounds the notion of an education in moral and civic obligation, and advocates for social justice in South Asia.
The Faculty of the Sundar Singh Institute
Scholarship in Service of Regional and Global Transformation
The faculty of the Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies comprises an exceptional group of scholars committed to advancing knowledge while addressing the most urgent challenges facing South Asia and the broader global community. Each member brings a unique intellectual perspective, contributing not only to disciplinary development but also to public discourse, policy reform, and grassroots transformation.
Our faculty are engaged across multiple spheres of impact. Their work informs government advisory processes, supports institutional reform initiatives, and promotes community-based inquiry. Together, they embody a model of engaged scholarship—one that integrates theoretical innovation with ethical practice.
Drawing from diverse fields such as political science, international relations, cultural anthropology, public health, environmental studies, theology, law, and gender studies, our academic leaders work at the intersection of research and social relevance. Their interdisciplinary and applied approaches are frequently sought by national governments, United Nations agencies, and international policy networks. Research produced by the Institute’s faculty has influenced legislation, policy frameworks, and institutional design across the region.
What unites this diverse group is a shared conviction: that scholarship must not only understand the world, but also help to transform it. Their research is guided by empirical rigor, moral clarity, and an unwavering commitment to justice, inclusion, and sustainability.
A Commitment to Knowledge and Impact
Transformative Learning and Ethical Engagement
The Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies embodies a vision of scholarship as a public good—intellectually expansive, ethically grounded, and socially transformative. Guided by a philosophy of civic responsibility and intercultural engagement, the Institute fosters a culture of research that enhances critical awareness, deepens mutual understanding, and contributes meaningfully to the public sphere.
Our faculty members are not only accomplished researchers; they are educators, public intellectuals, and mentors committed to shaping the next generation of ethical scholars and social leaders. Through innovative pedagogy, collaborative inquiry, and sustained community engagement, the Institute works to ensure that research does not remain confined to academic discourse, but becomes a catalyst for real-world change.
In a region marked by deep historical complexity and urgent contemporary challenges, our mission is clear: to advance the flourishing of South Asia through research that informs, teaching that inspires, and action that transforms. In doing so, the Sundar Singh Institute stands not only as a centre of academic excellence, but also as a moral expression of scholarship committed to justice in a globalized world.