Dr. Shambhavi Bhushan

Dr. Shambhavi Bhushan
Associate Fellow

I am a cultural anthropologist with a strong focus on gender, education, and migration studies, particularly within the context of African studies, Race Theory, and Ethnography. My academic journey began with a Master’s degree from the Delhi School of Economics, where my involvement in projects on migration and gender in Delhi greatly influenced my research interests. Broadening my scope, during my tenure as a Research Program Officer at the Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Paryojana (RGMVP), supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) from 2016 to 2018, I led impactful initiatives in Uttar Pradesh empowering Self-Help Group (SHG) women towards financial inclusion, livelihood enhancement, healthcare access, educational opportunities, and leadership skills development. Notably, in December 2024, I successfully attained my Ph.D. from the esteemed University of Florida, delving deeply into the challenges and socio-spatial strategies of African student migrants in India. My research has shed light on crucial issues such as race, racism, student migration experiences, gender-related obstacles, and spatial and religiosity-based coping strategies. I currently serve as an Associate Fellow at the Institute for Human Development (IHD), where my work is dedicated to driving substantial change by understanding the intersectionality of gender, migration, caste, class, and education, leading to questions of livelihood improvement, security enhancement, and employment opportunities. As a Senior Researcher, I am currently part of an ICCSR project titled “Ecosociality of the Ganga Riverscapes: A Study of the Riverine Subcultures, Folk Traditions and Community Practices in the Ganga Basin”. Furthermore, my forthcoming paper titled “African Migrants in India: State (Un) Accountability and Pluralistic Morality” has been accepted for publication in the esteemed South Asia Journal of South Asian Studies.