OUR PEOPLE
ADMINISTRATION
AMJAD ALI KHAN
Founding Director
Amjad is the founding Director of the International Summer School, New Delhi, and concurrently serves as the interim head of the Esya Centre. Moreover, he continually engages with other think tanks as part of their efforts to promote the exchange of ideas and people across borders, particularly in the South Asian region. His professional journey began at the Planning Commission where he was among the youngest Consultants to be under the direct employ of the Government of India. He holds a Master’s degree from SOAS at the University of London and a Bachelor’s degree from Warwick Business School.
Khalid Jaleel
Deputy Director
Khalid serves as the Deputy Director of the International Summer School, New Delhi (ISS). He has been associated with the ISS in some capacity since the inception of the program. Presently, he also serves as the Programme Manager at the Esya Centre. Prior to this, he served as the Program Coordinator at the Centre for Escalation of Peace, which is focused on establishing programs that focus on empowering young minds. Alongside this, he served as an Academic Councillor at the Arjun Singh Centre for Distance and Open Learning, Jamia Millia Islamia (Jamia). Khalid earned his Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from the University of South Alabama, USA and a Master’s degree in Political Science from Jamia.
Prof. Nisar-ul-haq
Advisor
Prof. Haq serves as a Professor at the Department of Political Science, Jamia Millia Islamia. In his career, he has served as a member on numerous Board of Studies and Academic Committees. He has also served as an Observer on the U.N. Human Rights Commission, Geneva, Switzerland (2010-2012)
CORE FACULTY & ASSOCIATES
Dr. Ruchika Sharma
Dr. Ruchika Sharma is an Assistant Professor of History at Mata Sundri College, University of Delhi. She earned her PhD from the Centre for Historical Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Her research focuses on gender studies, colonial history, and cultural interactions in early modern India. Dr. Sharma has published extensively on topics such as interracial domesticities in early colonial Bengal, nautch women in European colonial writings, and service culture in Riti poetry.
Dr. Arindam Banerjee
Dr. Arindam Banerjee is an Associate Professor of Economics at Ambedkar University Delhi. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Dr. Banerjee's research interests include development economics, agrarian studies, and political economy. He has published extensively on topics such as agricultural policies, rural development, and economic inequality in India. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Banerjee actively engages in policy discussions and contributes to various forums addressing economic and social issues.
Dr. Adnan Farooqui
Dr. Adnan Farooqui is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He earned his Ph.D. from Jawaharlal Nehru University and has been teaching at Jamia Millia Islamia since April 2008. Dr. Farooqui's research interests include party systems, electoral politics, and ethnic politics in India.
Meghna Bal
Meghna Bal is the Director at Esya Centre. She is a lawyer by training with deep experience in media and emerging technology. Previously, she worked on legal and policy strategy at the Walt Disney Company. Before Disney, she set up and led the India office for Consensys, the world’s largest blockchain technology company.
