Akanksha Awal

Dr Akanksha Awal is a Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, SOAS University of London. Her research focuses on intimacy, gender, education, and policing in peri-urban India and China. She holds a BEng from London Metropolitan University, an MSc from the London School of Economics (LSE), and a DPhil from the University of Oxford (Oxon).

Education:

• BEng (London Metropolitan University)
• MSc (London School of Economics)
• DPhil (University of Oxford)

Her research explores how young people navigate social and sexual freedoms in Uttar Pradesh, India, and how state institutions respond to these demands. She previously worked as a journalist for the Financial Times, covering anti-corruption protests in Delhi, which influenced her doctoral work. Her postdoctoral research, supported by the Leverhulme Trust and the Economic and Social Research Council, examined policing responses to youth activism.

Key Research Themes:

• Intimacy as a site of political struggle
• Gender dynamics in peri-urban spaces
• Policing and state responses to youth activism
• Social media and urban aspirations

Grants and Funding:

• Leverhulme Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Economic and Social Research Council Support