M. Satish Kumar

Dr M. Satish Kumar is a Senior Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast, affiliated with the School of Natural and Built Environment and the Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice. He holds additional roles as Distinguished Honorary Chair of Global Sustainable Development Goals (Techno-India University) and Chairperson of the Kerala Urban Policy Commission. His expertise lies in colonial/postcolonial geographies, urban development, climate change impacts on cultural heritage, and decolonization studies.

Dr Kumar has a PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University (1991) and postgraduate training in teaching at Queen’s University (2001-02). He has taught at institutions including Cambridge University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Soka University of America. His research focuses on three key strands: urban development and labor markets, climate resilience in fragile ecosystems, and historical roots of underdevelopment in South Asia.

His awards include the Belfast Ambassador’s Medal (2020), Queen’s Teaching Award (2014), and the Bhoovigyan National Leadership Award (2002). He has supervised over 20 PhD and MPhil students across institutions like Queen’s, Cambridge, and Jawaharlal Nehru University. Key grants include a UKRI-AHRC project on decolonizing earth science pedagogy (£125k) and initiatives on Majuli’s heritage and climate resilience (£22k).

Dr Kumar actively engages in public policy, serving on boards like Trócaire Northern Ireland and ArtsEkta. He pioneered initiatives such as the Young Civic Leaders of Northern Ireland and contributed to UN SDG frameworks. His fieldwork includes studies in Assam’s Majuli and Sundarbans, emphasizing indigenous knowledge systems.