POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN CLIMATE CHANGE

October 5, 2024 – April 27, 2025

India’s First Postgraduate Diploma Programme in Climate Change

Are you driven by a deep passion to make a positive impact on our planet? Do you aspire to be a catalyst for change in the realms of climate action and sustainability? You probably know that the climate challenges we face today can’t be solved on your own. Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Addressing the world’s climate crises requires creative, inclusive, and comprehensive solutions. That’s why we’ve designed a fully online Postgraduate Diploma designed to empower you with the knowledge and skills to transcend traditional boundaries and foster interdisciplinary solutions brought to you in collaboration with Centre for Climate Studies, Manipal University and Guest Lectures from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Australia. Our aim is to equip you to play a pivotal role in shaping a world that is not only environmentally conscious but also sustainable and fair for all.

Duration: October 5, 2024 to April 27, 2025           Time: 02:00 AM to 5:00 PM         Course Schedule: Weekends (Saturday & Sunday)            Mode: Online
Duration: October 5, 2024 to April 27, 2025  Time: 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM             
Mode: Online

In Collaboration with

Explore a wide range of topics!

→  Science & Policy: Grasp the fundamentals of the global climate crisis and major policy frameworks.

→ Risk & Mitigation: Understand the risks posed by climate change and strategies for mitigation.

→ Resilience: Learn about building climate resilience in the face of a changing climate

→ Climate Finance: Gain insights into the Green Economy and Climate Finance

→ Impact: Explore the impacts of climate change and effective solutions.

Who Should Attend?


This program is ideal for individuals with a passion for tackling climate change and sustainability issues, regardless of whether they are just starting their journey or are experienced professionals looking to deepen their expertise. The course is designed for:

  1. Graduates with a degree in any discipline who wish to specialise in climate change, sustainability, or related fields.
  2. Professionals from various sectors—government, NGOs, international organisations, corporations, or educational institutions—who are seeking to advance their knowledge or career in climate change and low-carbon development.
  3. Individuals with relevant experience in environmental science, policy, development, or sustainability-related fields who want to acquire advanced analytical skills and specialised knowledge to address climate issues.


Prerequisites:

A bachelor’s degree in any field is recommended, though no specific academic background is required

CURRICULUM

Week 1 : 05.10.2024 - 06.10.2024

Week 2 : 19.10.2024 - 20.10.2024

Expert : Dr. Dhanasree Jayaram, MAHE, Manipal

Topics: 

  • The One Planet Framework - The current scenario regarding Climate Change – local and global; geopolitics, economies, quality of life, challenges.
  • Earlier COPs & COP 28 - Perspectives and Issues; The policy and programme landscape that addresses the challenge: The UN Climate Convention, The Paris Agreement, Kyoto Protocol, UNFCCC, The Climate Services Information System (CSIS), Global Change Information System (GCIS)
  • The India Perspective - India’s Long-Term Strategy: Policy and Programme Commitments, Actions, Actors (MoEFCC front-ending global negotiations, domestic policy-making involves several actors); Indian government’s framework (NDC); G20; Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change- global and Indian commitments; Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action.
  • Climate Justice- CBDR and global governance and norms

Week 3 : 26.10.2024 -  27.10.2024

Week 4 : 09.11.2024 -  10.11.2024

Expert : Dr Sabin TP, TROPMET

  • The Science of Climate Change – Fundamental Principles, Basics, Causes, Impact, The atmosphere and the concentration of carbon dioxide, Global Mean Temperatures, Greenhouse Effect and Anthropogenic Global Warming Particulate Matter, Carbon Sinks
  • Climate Model- Energy Balance Models, Intermediate Complexity Models, General Circulation Models (GCMS) And Atmosphere–Ocean GCMS (AOGCMS)
  • New concepts- tipping points, the 1.5 degrees climate change pledge and target – is it arbitrary, how was it scientifically reached? Island countries – 1.5 is a death sentence
  • Science communication and organisations like IPCC- what role have they played in the science policy interface; public engagement and outreach for science

Week 5 : 16.11.2024 - 17.11.2024

Week 6 : 23.11.2024 - 24.11.2024

Expert : Prof Jindal, IIT Kanpur, Dr Eswarayya Ramireddy, IISER Tirupati, IGBC / Harsha Sridhar, Initiative for Green Habitats

  • The Energy Sector - Not just the most affected by, but also the one with the most effective solutions to climate change; Contributions to Reducing Global Emissions.
  • The Agriculture Sector - Agricultural GHG Emissions, Impact on Crops, Livestock and Fisheries, Climate-Smart Agriculture, Sectoral Roles, Integrated Assessment, Food Supply and Security. International Legal and Policy for Climate Change, Legislative approaches for Sustainable and Agriculture and Natural Resource Governance (focus area for COP 27 – adaptation and mitigation)
  • The Transport Sector - Sustainable Transportation and e-mobility
  • Urban Design - Cities’ Emission Scenario, Issues with Urban Infrastructure, Urban Population Vulnerabilities, Climate Integrated City Planning and Stakeholders, Power Supply and Energy Efficient Architecture: Building and Site Design (outside of the UNFCC purview as well)

Week 7 : 30.11.2024 - 01.12.2024

Week 8 : 07.12.2024 -  08.12.2024

Week 9 : 14.12.2024 -  15.12.2024

Expert : Mr. Achim Rodewald - Sustainovate

  • Unpacking Impact
  • Global Climate Governance at Different Levels
  • India’s Low Carbon Strategy
  • India’s Long-Term Strategy – Deep-Dive
  • Coalitions and Partnerships
  • Net Zero – Goalposts, Roadmaps, Opportunities, and Challenges

Week 10 : 21.12.2024 -  22.12.2024

Week 11 : 28.12.2024 -  29.12.2024

Week 12 : 04.01.2025 -  05.01.2025

 

Week 13 : 11.01.2025 -  12.01.2025

Week 14 : 18.01.2025 -  19.01.2025

Expert : Expert from CEE, Nitin Mishra - Sustainovate

  • Green Economy and Mitigation: Sustainable Consumption and Production: Businesses: Forward and Backward Linkages, Technical Innovation, Government: Regulatory Frameworks, Tariff Designing, Institutional Setup.
  • Climate Finance: COP 16: Standing Committee on Finance, Green Climate Fund, International Finance Corporation and World Bank, Global Environment Facilities (GEF): UNFCCC, Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), Climate Change Focal Area Strategy
  • Green Finance and Carbon Markets
  • Green bonds, Carbon pricing and Emission Trading Systems (ETS) for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
  • Climate risk assessments for aligning financial investments with sustainability goals
  • Emerging Technologies and Climate Solutions
  • Innovative financing models for renewable energy and hydrogen economy
  • Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technologies for emission reduction
  • Green and climate-focused FinTech solutions to drive digital climate action

Week 15 : 01.02.2025 -  02.02.2025

Week 16 : 08.02.2025 - 09.02.2025

Expert : Dr Harini Santhanam, MAHE, Bengaluru , Nitin Mishra - Sustainovate, Reap Benefit

  • Basic understanding of Adaptation, Resilience, Loss and Damage
  • Fundamentals and Need for Adaptation and Resilience
  • The funds for Loss and Damage
  • Circles of Concern and Circles of Influence – Exploring action at multiple levels digital climate action
  • Indian Cities Climate Action Plans
  • Industry Best Practices - Zero waste, water neutrality, green buildings
  • Adoption of Climate Adaptation Frameworks and Methodologies
  • Enablers for Action: Advocacy, Research and Evidence; Mass Campaigns; Mobilising leadership; Resource Commitments
  • What can I do? The role an individual plays
Final Assignment, Briefing and Course Conclusions
10:00 am to 1:30 pm (Break 11:30 am to 12:00 pm)
Final Assignment, Briefing and Course Conclusions
10:00 am to 1:30 pm (Break 11:30 am to 12:00 pm)

Experts

Dr. Dhanasree Jayaram

Dr. Dhanasree Jayaram is a Research Fellow at Centre Marc Bloch (CMB) and Guest Researcher at Freie Universität Berlin – under the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s International Climate Protection Fellowship (for postdocs) 2022-23. She is an Assistant Professor, Department of Geopolitics and International Relations, and Co-coordinator, Centre for Climate Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Karnataka, India. She is also a Research Fellow, Earth System Governance; Member, Climate Security Expert Network; and Member, Planet Politics Institute. She holds a PhD in Geopolitics and International Relations from MAHE. She pursued a visiting fellowship (Erasmus Mundus – short-term PhD) at Leiden University, the Netherlands during 2014-15; and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, under the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship during 2018-19. She managed a project of adelphi (Berlin) on “Climate Diplomacy”, sponsored by the German Federal Foreign Office during 2015-20. Her primary fields of interest include climate politics and diplomacy, environmental security and military, regional environmental policy in Asia, and environmental peacebuilding.

Dr. Harini Santhanam

Dr. Harini is currently the Head of the Department of Public Policy at MAHE Bengaluru. Her academic responsibilities include teaching foundation and advanced courses in Public Policy as well as designing Policy labs for research and enablement in the fields of environment, technology, and sustainable development. She is also pursuing collaborations with national and international institutions of repute for strengthening the pedagogical frameworks and the Problem Based Learning approaches in the programmes offered by the department. Her administrative roles also include providing leadership to a team of young policymakers, coordinating academic activities, and conducting training programmes and workshops. She is also a doctoral research supervisor to Ph.D. scholars working broadly in the area of environment, technology policy, and sustainable development.  Currently, Dr. Harini is offering an open elective: Technology and Public Policy.

Dr. Sabin Thazhe Purayil
Dr. Sabin Thazhe Purayil is a Scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology with expertise in climate change research, high-resolution climate modeling, and paleo climate modeling. He holds a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science and an M.Sc. in Meteorology from Cochin University of Science and Technology. His work focuses on developing advanced climate models to simulate multi-century climate patterns, particularly in understanding monsoon dynamics and changes in the hydrological cycle.
Through his innovative work in variable-resolution climate modeling, he contributes to advancing climate science, focusing on both contemporary and ancient climate systems. His expertise is essential in addressing global climate challenges and improving the understanding of long-term climatic changes.
Mr. Nitin MIshra

Mr. Nitin Mishra, founder of Sustainovate Climate Solution Private Limited, is a recognized expert in Environment and Sustainability. With over 13 years of experience, he has led corporate sustainability initiatives at major MNCs like Havells, Dabur, RSPL, and Honda, spanning industries such as FMEG, water utilities, automotive, chemicals, and FMCG. His expertise includes ESG agenda implementation, sustainability reporting (BRSR, DJSI, CDP, TCFD, SBTi), and driving water, energy, and waste reduction projects. Nitin is skilled in sustainable packaging, carbon footprint calculation, and achieving zero-waste-to-landfill. He has also developed net-zero roadmaps, and implemented renewable energy and circular economy initiatives, with a focus on water-positive and plastic-neutral certifications across the value chain.

Dr. Sunayana Ganguly

Dr. Sunayana Ganguly is a political scientist specializing in environmental governance and sustainable consumption and is the co-founder of the Climate Educator Network. With a PhD from Freie University, an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics, and a BA in English Literature from St. Stephen’s College, she has a diverse academic background complemented by experience working in think tanks in India and Germany. Previously a faculty member at Azim Premji University, she has taught and researched environmental governance, politics, policy and advocacy, and qualitative research methods. Her book, “Deliberating Environment Policy in India: Participation and the Role of Advocacy”, examines the dynamics of deliberation and collective action in the development of two key environmental policies in India.

Mr. Avimuktesh Bhardwaj

Mr. Avimuktesh Bhardwaj is currently the Director of State Climate Action at Asar Social Impact Advisors, leading climate initiatives in Maharashtra, Odisha, and West Bengal. He has 12+ years of experience working in the corporate and development sectors. He worked at Godrej Agrovet, overseeing procurement and category management of raw materials and leading the business development for Godrej Maxximilk, achieving significant growth in the dairy sector. He also worked with Olam Food Ingredients as Marketing and Customer Service Head for Indian Spices.
Before his post-MBA corporate stints, he also worked with Centre for Science and Environment and Greenpeace India in policy research, advocacy and campaigning roles. Avimuktesh holds degrees in Food and Agribusiness Management from IIM Ahmedabad and Agricultural Engineering from IIT Kharagpur.

Mr. Harshad Phadnis
Mr. Harshad Phadnis is currently the Director of Energy Transition & Utilities at Capgemini Invent. He is a practitioner in the Energy Transition & Utilities Consulting domain, with 18+ years experience in Renewables, Cleantech and Decarbonisation. He has worked at Accenture, Cimbria Consulting, PowerMann Consult and the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce in advisory and consulting roles, before joining Capgemini Invent in 2023.
He’s a contributing author for international reports in both Solar PV and Thermal applications. He has completed his Bachelor’s in Production Engineering from Savitribai Phule Pune University and has a combined European Master’s in Renewable Energy, Hybrid Systems, and Electrical Engineering from the University of Kassel and Loughborough University.
 
Dr. Eswar Ramireddy
Dr. Eswar Ramireddy is an accomplished academic and researcher with expertise in plant biology, biotechnology, and crop improvement strategies. Currently an Associate Professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati, he has been instrumental in advancing research on root system architecture (RSA) and its role in sustainable agriculture. His leadership has driven innovative approaches to understanding how environmental factors influence plant growth and resilience.

Eswar previously led research groups at the Freie Universität Berlin, focusing on cytokinin regulation in crops like barley and maize, contributing to breakthrough studies in crop enhancement. Holding a Ph.D. from Freie Universität Berlin and an M.Sc. from the University of Hyderabad, his career spans impactful academic and research roles, fostering innovation in plant sciences while mentoring future leaders in the field.
 
Mr. Ajay Nayak
Mr. Ajay Nayak is the Managing Partner of EdEn—Educated Environments and a founding member of Water Environs, blending his architectural acumen with a deep commitment to environmental stewardship. Specializing in green building design, eco-tourism planning, and urban resilience strategies for extreme climate events, Ajay has redefined sustainable practices in the built environment.
 
As a former editor of a leading architectural journal, Ajay has championed the integration of cutting-edge design principles with sustainability goals. He is a passionate advocate for environmental education across all age groups, striving to demystify sustainability and embed it into everyday life. His leadership at EdEn is central to fostering impactful ESG and CSR initiatives, driving change through innovative, community-focused projects.
Ms. Kimaya Keluskar
Ms. Kimaya Keluskar, a gold medalist in Architecture from KRVIA, Mumbai (2006), is a distinguished architect, educator, and sustainability advocate. Her MSc thesis on School Carbon Management Plans at UCL, published by CIBSE in 2009, highlights her expertise in sustainable design and climate-focused strategies. A faculty member at KRVIA since 2010, she bridges academic rigor with practical applications, mentoring future architects while engaging in impactful collaborations with organizations like BMW Guggenheim LAB, LafargeHolcim Foundation, and the World Resources Institute.
 
As a founding member of Water Environs, Kimaya champions the conservation of rivers and water ecosystems. At EdEn, she leads diverse initiatives, including green building certifications, Holistic Sustainability Initiatives (HSI), and community-driven ecological restoration projects. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Architecture and Built Environment, focusing on resilient urban landscapes.
Dr. Bhaskar Natarajan

Bhaskar Natarajan has over twenty-five years of experience in the field of energy policy and sustainable development, working with funding agencies, managing grants, and working with grassroots agencies to implement renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Bhaskar has worked with the government agencies under the Ministry of Power and Ministry of Environment & Forests, as well as with the NGO sector and the private sector. Bhaskar has extensive experience working with multiple stakeholders across areas as diverse as technology, gender, and recycling.

Bhaskar has worked on projects supported by World Bank, USAID, ADB, UNDP, CIDA and DFID among others, and has been a part of several official government and industry committees of energy and environment.Bhaskar has also written and published in national and international journals and other publications apart from contributing to a book on Renewable Energy Policy.

Bhaskar has worked with the USAID PACE-D project as Deputy Chief of Party (Energy Efficiency) prior to which he was the Managing Director of C-Quest Capital Green Ventures (the Indian arm of C-Quest Capital, US).

Mr. Vipin Rohilla

Mr. Vipin Rohilla is a Program Lead at Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE), overseeing work in Measurements & Verification (M&V), industrial decarbonization, ESCOs business, and energy efficiency financing. He supports projects in financing, M&V, and technology feasibility assessments. With 16 years of experience, Vipin specializes in energy policy, audits, demand-side management, and implementing energy efficiency technologies. He has worked in Bangladesh, Nepal, Egypt, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, including three years at TARSHID as Senior Project Manager (M&V). Vipin holds a Master's in Finance from FMS, Delhi University, a B.E. in Electrical Engineering, and certifications like CMVP, CEA, CEM, and PMVA. He enjoys reading, music, photography, and meditation.

Mr. Sreejith O P

Mr. Sreejith O. P., a distinguished meteorologist, leads the Climate Monitoring and Prediction Group at the Climate Research and Services (CRS) division of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Pune. With over 21 years of experience, he has spearheaded critical advancements in seasonal climate forecasting, dynamic prediction systems, and gridded data product development, contributing to India’s meteorological research and services. Since assuming his current role in 2019, Mr. Sreejith has driven efforts to enhance climate monitoring capabilities and provide actionable insights for resilience against climate variability.

Mr. Sreejith holds an MSc in Meteorology from Cochin University of Science and Technology. His early career as a Research Fellow at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa, saw him investigating air-sea interactions over the Bay of Bengal using remote sensing. Over the years, he has also managed aviation meteorological operations and state-level meteorological centers, including those at Jaipur’s Sanganer International Airport. Mr. Sreejith’s robust leadership reflects his dedication to improving India’s weather and climate prediction systems and fostering sustainable development through innovative meteorological research. 

Mr. Achim Rodewald
An advisor on sustainable and responsible business processes and practices for 18+ years, Achim has worked in many areas relevant to the SDGs like Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Water, Waste Water and Waste as Energy Source, CSR, Anti-Corruption Measures, GHG Emissions Reduction, Human Rights Due Diligence, and Stewardship, repeatedly under the umbrella of maintaining, improving and accelerating Indo-German business relations. He started his career as a freelance journalist and has worked as an advisor at the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce for over 5 years. Currently he is working as an Independent Consultant and Advisor on Sustainability for Industries, across India. He is a German by birth, currently residing in Kolkota, India.
 

COURSE FEE

The course fee is Rs. 1,20,000 + GST, which includes a comprehensive programme, engagement with fellow participants and experts, and certificate will be provided jointly from the School of Policy and Governance and Manipal University

 

Please call +916380712292 for admissions or application process.

FOR FURTHER DETAILS, CONTACT
Email: info@policyandgovernance.in

FOR FURTHER DETAILS, CONTACT
Email: info@policyandgovernance.in

Chandrakanth B N

Chandra is a passionate creator with an empathetic business sense and an entrepreneur who left a high flying career in the US, to chase an Indian dream. He has been involved in establishing several companies since 1996. His ventures have ranged from IT Services, Digital Media operations, Manufacturing and Training. As the Chairman of Pairee, he oversees several investments made by the company.

Prior to Pairee, Chandra was the Founder and Managing Director of Theorem India, which he started with just two people in 2002 and grew it to over 1300+ people globally spread across 4 continents, serving several global blue chip brands and establishing a sprawling campus in Mysore before leaving at the end of 2013. Chandra also enjoys investing, advising and mentoring start-up companies and is on the board of a several such companies. He is also passionate about giving back to the society. His Pairee Foundation is helping educate the rural youth of India and making them job ready. Chandra holds a Masters degree in Industrial Management from Northern Illinois University, Chicago and a BE degree from Bangalore University. He is a leading voice in the IT Industry and regularly speaks at global conferences. He is also an active member of various industry groups in the technology world. Chandra and his work regularly feature on national and regional TV channels.


Monika Barthwal-Datta

Monika Barthwal-Datta is Senior Lecturer in International Security in the School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney. Before joining UNSW in 2012, Monika was a MacArthur Foundation postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for International Security Studies (CISS), University of Sydney, where she led a two-year research project on ‘Food Security in Asia: Strategic Risks and Mitigation.’ Her research areas include critical security studies, non-traditional security, the international politics of South Asia and Indian foreign policy.

Monika was awarded her PhD by Royal Holloway and Bedford College, University of London and holds an MScEcon in Security Studies from Aberystwyth University. She also has a Master’s in International Journalism from Cardiff University and has worked as a Broadcast Journalist for the BBC World Service Radio in London for several years. Since making Sydney her home in late 2010, Monika has been actively involved in the Australia-India space through her research and community engagement. Monika was a Director and a Steering Committee member of the Australia India Youth Dialogue. She is also on the Executive Committee of the South Asian Studies Association of Australia (SASAA) and on the editorial board of the journal Asian Studies Review. Monika is the author of ‘Understanding Security Practices in South Asia: Securitization Theory and the Role of Non-State Actors’ (Routledge 2012) and ‘Food Security in Asia: Challenges, Policies and Implications’ (IISS and Routledge, 2014), and has spoken at TEDx Orange (NSW, Australia) on the role of small family farms in global food security.


Ruchir Punjabi

Ruchir is a Co-Founder & Chief Digital Officer at Distributed Energy (www.de.energy). Distributed Energy matches investors with renewable energy projects across Africa, the Middle East, and India.

Ruchir formerly founded Langoor (www.langoor.com) – one of APAC’s largest independent digital agencies that were later sold to Havas Group in 2019. Langoor started in his living room in Sydney before growing to 200+ people digital agency across the Asia Pacific. He continues to be a Board Director and Evangelist for the business.

Passionate about social change, Ruchir has started a number of social and not for profit organizations. After the International student crisis in Australia in 2010, Ruchir created the Australia India Youth Dialogue, a Track II diplomatic dialogue between the young leaders of Australia and India. Ruchir is also the Founder of a School of Policy and Governance and Samarthan India. Ruchir is a Computer Science graduate from Sydney University and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He serves as Director on a number of not for profit and business Boards, including investing in some of them.


Vidyanand Sagaram

Vidyanand Sagaram joined the Victorian Government Business Office in 2009 to head their Skilled and Business Migration portfolio for South and South East Asia. In 2011 he was appointed as the Director for Strategic Projects with a primary focus on the whole-of Victorian government initiatives. To deliver the key initiatives and priorities of the government he has been engaging very closely with the Indian governments both State and Federal, industry groups and various Victorian departments.

Vidya was also the Director for the Australia India Youth Dialogue which hosts young leaders from Australia and India at an annual conference, held in India and Australia in alternate years. He is currently on the Executive Council of the Indo Australian Chamber of Commerce. Vidya has previously worked for La Trobe University in India heading their operations for South Asia, prior to that with Hobsons Solutions and Telstra in Melbourne. He holds a Master’s degree from Monash University, Melbourne.


Rishi Suri

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Aliquam sit amet velit a elit fermentum bibendum in a tortor. Morbi suscipit efficitur lectus, ut tristique mauris fringilla sit amet. Phasellus vel mollis augue. Sed justo purus, feugiat et mi sed, blandit consequat ipsum. Quisque vitae tincidunt ipsum, eu pharetra purus. Aenean vel feugiat nibh. Fusce consequat ut augue in ultricies. Vivamus pellentesque dolor lacus. Etiam venenatis odio nec turpis aliquet, sit amet dignissim ligula dignissim.


Manuraj Sundaram

Manuraj is a lawyer practicing at the Madras High Court and is also a Media Spokesperson for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party. He has rich experience in the field of public policy after working as a Parliamentary Advisor for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for 5 years.

In November 2010, Manu was a Fellow of the ‘Legislative Fellows Program’ organized by the US State Department. In July 2013, Manuraj was invited to participate in the ‘European Union Visitor Program’, with fellowships in Brussels, Strassbourg and The Hague.

Manuraj has run tech-based outreach campaigns to engage citizens on civic issues and study participatory governance models.


Sanushka Seomangal

Sanushka Seomangal is a Partner in Thomson Geer’s Sydney office where she specialises in equity and debt capital markets and mergers and acquisitions. With particular expertise in public and private equity fundraising, initial public offerings (IPOs), and mergers and acquisitions involving both private and listed companies, Sanushka also advises her clients on general corporate matters. Sanushka’s practice is largely cross-border with an Asia-focus and she has expertise in capital markets and M&A transactions involving clients in the PRC, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Indonesia and India. Amongst her professional achievements, Sanushka was named one of the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence in 2018 and was a finalist at the Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards 2019.

Sanushka holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Natal, South Africa, a Master of Applied Law from the University of Queensland, Australia and a Master of Business Law from the University of Sydney, Australia. Sanushka has a particular interest in India and is a member of the board of the Australia India Council, the National Vice Chair of the Australia India Business Council, and co-founder of the Australia India Youth Dialogue. She is also a member of UN Women Australia and Philanthropy Australia’s New Generation of Giving.


Preethi Herman

Preethi Herman is the Global Executive Director of the Change.org Foundation and an Obama Foundation Fellow for global civic leadership. She established Change.org as a people’s platform in India – growing it from a user base of less than 2 lakh users to a current 1 crore active citizens taking action on various social change issues across the country. Under Preethi’s lead, the Change.org India team has brought several issues into national headlines and made it into a movement touching the lives of millions of Indians.

Preethi is one of the few women leaders from the Global South at the forefront of the civic technology. She has been recognised as one among the 50 most influential women in media (in India) by Impact Media in 2016 and again in 2017, was awarded Business Today’s Most Powerful Women Award in India in 2017 and was recognized by the Indian Government as one of the 25 women transforming India through the UN’s #WomenTransform initiative. At the heart of Preethi’s vision is enabling the power for people coming together to create change and leveraging technology in a decentralised structure of civil leadership. She has helped set up powerful civic and campaigning based organisations like ‘She Creates Change’ and ‘Campaign Academy India’ and serves on the boards of various Indian and International organisations.


Subhadra Menon
Head of Programs

Subhadra Menon leads SPG’s Programmes and Initiatives. She has been working in the domains of human development with a specific focus on communication and advocacy. An award-winning writer, Subhadra uses her core skills and professional experiences to contribute towards the improvement of development indices in India and the region through communication and advocacy using high calibre research, evidence-gathering, analysis, writing and documentation for public domain knowledge. She is passionate about public engagement and outreach. She has extensive experience with social and behaviour change communication, evidence-based advocacy, health literacy initiatives, knowledge management and packaging communication products for change agendas.

Subhadra has led several large programmes and initiatives for national and international organisations, mainly the Public Health Foundation of India, UNFPA India, the Futures Group, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation. Before this, Subhadra was a print journalist specialising in health, science and technology, environment and social issues. She was Principal Correspondent for the India Today magazine, among other professional affiliations.


Anushka Mukherjee

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Aliquam sit amet velit a elit fermentum bibendum in a tortor. Morbi suscipit efficitur lectus, ut tristique mauris fringilla sit amet. Phasellus vel mollis augue. Sed justo purus, feugiat et mi sed, blandit consequat ipsum. Quisque vitae tincidunt ipsum, eu pharetra purus. Aenean vel feugiat nibh. Fusce consequat ut augue in ultricies. Vivamus pellentesque dolor lacus. Etiam venenatis odio nec turpis aliquet, sit amet dignissim ligula dignissim.


Jennie Jehosheba Jackson

Jennie is the Programme Associate at School of Policy and Governance. She graduated with a Master of Philosophy in Social Work specialized in Human Resources from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore. Jennie has worked as a Social Worker and as a Human Resource Trainee in different sectors like schools, manufacturing industries and hospitality. She has also been a Volunteer at Cheshire Homes Coimbatore and has extended her support for the persons with disabilities. Jennie has also been working in a Media Post Production company based out of Bangalore for the past 3 years and has recently joined our team.


Dr. Dhanasree Jayaram

Dr. Dhanasree Jayaram is a Research Fellow at Centre Marc Bloch (CMB) and Guest Researcher at Freie Universität Berlin – under the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s International Climate Protection Fellowship (for postdocs) 2022-23. She is an Assistant Professor, Department of Geopolitics and International Relations, and Co-coordinator, Centre for Climate Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Karnataka, India. She is also a Research Fellow, Earth System Governance; Member, Climate Security Expert Network; and Member, Planet Politics Institute. She holds a PhD in Geopolitics and International Relations from MAHE. She pursued a visiting fellowship (Erasmus Mundus – short-term PhD) at Leiden University, the Netherlands during 2014-15; and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, under the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship during 2018-19. She managed a project of adelphi (Berlin) on “Climate Diplomacy”, sponsored by the German Federal Foreign Office during 2015-20. Her primary fields of interest include climate politics and diplomacy, environmental security and military, regional environmental policy in Asia, and environmental peacebuilding.


Nakkeeran Nanjappan

N. Nakkeeran is Professor with the School of Global Affairs & Deputy Director of Centre for Research Methods, Dr. B.R Ambedkar University, Delhi (AUD). A Gold Medallist in M.A. (Anthropology) from Madras University, Prof. N. Nakkeeran did his M.Phil and PhD from the Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Before Joining AUD, he was with the Department of Health Services Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai and the Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar (IIPHG - PHFI). Prof. Nakkeeran has worked, published and undertaken funded research in the areas of health social sciences, health equity, qualitative research methodology and child malnutrition. He has participated as a resource person in numerous research methodology workshops meant for research scholars and young faculty members organised across the country. While at IIPHG he had successfully conducted three-day annual workshop on Qualitative Research Methods for medical and public health professionals between 2010 and 2014 and also rolled out an online Certificate programme in Research Methodology. He also was instrumental in designing and rolling out Master of Public Health Programmes at IIPHG and AUD and a doctoral programme in Public Health at AUD. He has won a number of fellowships and research grants including 3rd & 4th Global symposium on Health Systems Research Fellowships; PHFI-Wellcome Trust Research fellowship; ICMR Research Grants; DST Research Grant and a number grants for organizing methodology workshops. Extracts from his ethnographic study of a south Indian village was published as “Conditions of Women's Work, Status and Fertility: Land, Caste and Gender in a South Indian Village”, EPW); he has co-authored an ethnographic monograph “Transfer of Home-based Newborn Care from SEARCH to Other Organizations: Process Documentation of the ANKUR Project”, (SEARCH, 2007). His other publications in this area include “Qualitative Research Methodology: Epistemological Foundation and Research Procedures”, (IJSW), “Knowledge, Truth and Social Reality: An Introductory Note on Qualitative Research” (IJCM); “Rigor and Validity in Qualitative Methods in Applied Situations” (IJPH); “Is ‘Sampling’ a Misnomer in Qualitative Research?” (Sociological Bulletin); “Disability, mental health, sexual orientation and gender identity: understanding health inequity through experience and difference” (Health Research Policy and Systems); and Beyond behaviour as individual choice: A call to expand understandings around social science in health research (Wellcomeopenresearch).


Dr Shweta Singh

Shweta Singh is Associate Professor of International Relations at the South Asian University (New Delhi, India). Her research broadly focuses on the politics of ‘everyday’, norms and WPS agenda (South Asia), critical peace and conflict studies (with a particular focus on post-colonial South Asia) , gender and populism, and contemporary politics of Afghanistan, Kashmir and Sri Lanka. She has been the recipient of the prestigious United States Leadership Award in 2010, and the Mahbub Ul Haq Award in 2013. She was recently appointed as the UN Women International Expert on populism, nationalism, and gender (Regional Office for Asia and Pacific), and as Academic Advisor for the UNESCO-MGiEP project on State of Prevention of Violent Extremism through Education in South Asia. She is co-editor (with Tiina Vaittinen and Catia Confortini), of a Rowman and Littlefield book series(which is now under process of transition) titled Feminist Studies on Peace, Justice and Violence. Her recent publications include ‘Towards an intersectional approach to populism: comparative perspectives from Finland and India’, Contemporary Politics (co-authored with Elise Feron) 2021;‘ ‘Gendering education for peace: Critical perspectives’ in Tarja Väyrynen, Swati Parashar, Élise Féron, Catia Confortini (eds.), Handbook of Feminist Peace Research, Routledge, 2021, ‘In between the Ulema and Local Warlords in Afghanistan: Critical Perspectives on the Everyday, Norms Translation and UNSCR 1325’, International Feminist Journal of Politics, 2020.  


Shreelata Krishnan

Shreelata brings to the table a creative and entrepreneurial approach to developing sustainable solutions for organisations across industries. Towards this end, she is experienced in mentoring and coaching people and enterprises, implementing pioneering solutions for multi scalar, projects that help drive positive societal, economic, and climate change impact, and building capacity by employing a bottom-up approach. Shreelata has completed a master’s level education in Sustainable Transitions from the University of Aberdeen.

Intrigued and fascinated with different cultures and lifestyles, she has worked with a diverse set of national & international organisations in the fields of sustainability communication, social impact, impact monitoring and capacity building.

Early in her career, Shreelata has worked extensively in the customer service sector across hospitality, shipping and telecom industries managing multiple teams, co-founded her own online enterprise supporting nearly 30 rural and semi-urban SHGs, entrepreneurs, and brands, coached and mentored social impact entrepreneurs globally, and volunteered with various capacity-building organisations as a mentor, fundraiser, advisor, and member. She is passionate about working with people and communities, promoting the culture of entrepreneurship, working to drive social change and can speak seven languages.


Roxy-Mathew

Dr. Roxy Mathew Koll

Dr. Roxy Mathew Koll is a Climate Scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. He did his Ph.D. in Ocean and Atmospheric Dynamics from Hokkaido University, Japan. Dr. Koll has made breakthrough contributions to observing and predicting the Indo-Pacific climate, facilitating the food, water, and economic security of the region. He led the redesign of the Indian Ocean Observation System and the development of the first climate model from South Asia—contributing to the science, monitoring, forecasts, and climate projections of the Indian Ocean rim countries. He is currently leading research on climate change and its impacts on the monsoon, cyclones, heatwaves, and the marine ecosystem. Dr. Koll is the Chair of the Indian Ocean Region Panel and a Lead Author of the IPCC Reports. He actively collaborates with citizen science networks, local governments, and media to bring science to society. Dr. Koll is among the top 2% scientists ranked by Stanford University. He was awarded the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Devendra Lal Medal for outstanding research in Earth and Space Sciences in 2022. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences awarded him the Kavli Fellowship in 2015 and the NRC Senior Research Fellowship in 2018. The Indian Meteorological Society felicitated him with the Young Scientist Award in 2016 for his research on the changes in the Monsoon.


Ulka Kelkar

Ulka Kelkar is Director, Climate, World Resources Institute India. She is an economist with more than two decades’ experience in climate policy. She models the economic impacts of low-carbon development pathways for India and supports climate action in Indian cities and states. She previously worked as a consultant climate assessment specialist for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and research fellow with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). She was appointed by the Government of India to formulate India’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (STIP 2020) in the thematic group on Energy, Environment and Climate Change.


Lakshmi Tejaswini

Lakshmi Tejaswini P is a multifaceted professional who has successfully driven impactful initiatives across various sectors. She has a proven track record of collaborating with businesses, nonprofits, political firms and government bodies to bring about positive change.She worked with the Higher Education Department of the Government of Karnataka, contributing to the establishment of aspirational goals for 2030, and played a vital role in the passing of the UVCE Act-2021 as part of the Vision Group of Higher Education and Research. She briefly worked with NetApp's APAC team in run their Corporate Social Impact programmes. Transitioning to political consulting, she developed effective strategies and campaigns for four successful political leaders in the Karnataka Assembly Elections of 2023. Additionally, she serves as the General Secretary of the Dheerya Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting accessible holistic education for all.


Dr Tanwir Arshed

Dr Tanwir Arshed is an Assistant Professor presently teaching at the Department of Political Science, President University, Kolkata. He completed his PhD from the University of North Bengal, Darjeeling, on India Pakistan Relations and the Role of the United States. His area of interest are Indian Public Administration and Indian Foreign Policy with a specific focus on South Asia and China. He has been a former SUSI Fellow at the University of Massachusetts, USA  


Ms. Kanika Dhupar

Kanika Dhupar, is a communications and policy professional, presently working as a Consultant at the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Reforms Secretariat, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. She completed her Masters in Journalism from School of Communication Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh. Her areas of interest are public affairs and policy, with a specific focus on multidisciplinary stakeholder engagements for global MNCs and industrial conglomerates, for addressal of issues, mitigating regulatory risks and helping them navigate the complex hierarchy of Central and State government stakeholders. With a keen interest in news, policy and communications - in her previous stints, she was an Account Director at Genesis BCW; a journalist in the print and digital domain, when she worked with Hindustan Times, The Tribune and The Indian Express. She was also the southeast-Asia reporter/producer with Barcroft Media - now ‘truly’ - London.  


Dr. Ekta Singh

Dr. Ekta Singh is an Assistant Professor in Public Policy and Governance at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD). Before joining AUD, she worked as an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Policy & Governance at TISS, Hyderabad Campus. Dr. Singh’s doctoral research looks at the interface between welfare and neo-liberalism in post-liberalization India through the lens of governance reforms in PDS. Her research interests primarily encompass policy institutions, the political economy of development, politics of welfare, comparative social policy, and governance issues. She is currently interested in critically analyzing the interface between technology and social policy.