#  Joint Seminar on South Asian Politics 

 



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**This seminar is open to the public.**

South Asia encompasses nearly a quarter of the world's population and endures some of the most pressing challenges confronting the developing world. This seminar hosts cutting-edge research from leading scholars on the politics of South Asia, with a focus on questions of democracy and development. Recurring themes include state building, representation, ethnic conflict, parties, accountability, political behavior, and foreign policy.

Seminars are followed by samosas and chai. The seminar meets at least three times per semester and is supported by Brown University and Harvard University. The conveners are Feyaad Allie, Patrick Heller, Mashail Malik, Gautam Nair, Prerna Singh, and Ashutosh Varshney.



 

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 <a class="hwp-button-card__link" href="">### Contact

 </a>**Aparna Krishnamurthy**  
[aparna\_krishnamurthy@fas.harvard.edu](mailto:aparna_krishnamurthy@fas.harvard.edu)



 

 

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 [### Seminar Website

 ](https://saxena.watson.brown.edu/events/seminar-series/joint-seminar-south-asian-politics)Visit the Joint Seminar on South Asian Politics website at the Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia, Brown University



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

##  Chairs 

 



  [### Feyaad Allie

 ](/people/feyaad-allie) <feyaadallie@fas.harvard.edu>Faculty Associate. 

Assistant Professor, Department of Government, Harvard University.

 

 

**Research interests:** Ethnic politics; democracy; minority politics; representation; elections; Indian politics; and political parties.



 

 

      ![Headshot of Feyaad Allie.](/sites/g/files/omnuum8891/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-08/allie-feyaad.jpg?h=5a651144&itok=Bi6s4ljL) 

 

 

 

   [### Mashail Malik

 ](/people/mashail-malik) <mashailmalik@fas.harvard.edu>Faculty Associate (on leave). 

Assistant Professor, Department of Government, Harvard University.

 

 

 Research interests: Ethnic and racial politics; political psychology of identity; gender; immigration and internal migration; political accountability; and urban politics. 

 

 

      ![Mashail Malik.](/sites/g/files/omnuum8891/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/wcfia/files/malik_mashail.png?itok=aCn7HKwC) 

 

 

 

   [### Gautam Nair

 ](/people/gautam-nair) <gnair@hks.harvard.edu>Faculty Associate; Chair, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Business and Government. 

Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School.

 

 

**Research interests:** Comparative and international political economy; distributive politics; business-government relations; and South Asia.



 

 

      ![Gautam Nair](/sites/g/files/omnuum8891/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/wcfia/files/nair_gautam_0.jpg?itok=Yb6EDpJx) 

 

 

 

   [### Ashutosh Varshney

 ](/people/ashutosh-varshney) [ashutosh\_varshney@brown.edu](mailto:ashutosh_varshney@brown.edu)Associate. 

Sol Goldman Professor of International Studies and the Social Sciences, Department of Political Science; Director, Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia, Brown University.

 

 

 Research interests: Ethnicity and nationalism; political economy of development; and South Asian politics and political economy. 

 

 

      ![varshney_ashutosh.png](/sites/g/files/omnuum8891/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/wcfia/files/varshney_ashutosh.png?itok=I3mjf-8B) 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

### <a>Patrick Heller</a>

**Professor of Sociology and International Studies, Brown University.**

### <a>Prerna Singh</a>

**Mahatma Gandhi Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies, Brown University.**



 

##  Upcoming Seminars 

 



No upcoming events at this current time. Please check back again later.



 

 [ View All Events arrow\_circle\_right ](/events) 

 

 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ Open Seminars ](/content-types/open-seminars)