Rathna Ramanathan

Dr. Rathna Ramanathan is a leading academic and practitioner in intercultural communication and alternative publishing. Currently serving as Provost of Central Saint Martins and UAL Executive Dean for Global Affairs, she has previously held deanships at Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art. Based in London but originally from Chennai, India, her work bridges South Asian and global design practices.

• University of Reading - PhD in Typography and Graphic Communication
• Central Saint Martins - MA in Communication Design
• University of Madras - BA Fine Art

Her research focuses on intercultural communication and alternative publishing in the Global South, examining how marginalized voices can be amplified through design. She explores the tension between tangible/intangible heritages and contemporary design, and investigates how form, media, and content interact in addressing social/political issues.

Recent publications highlight her design research trends in decolonial publishing, critical typography, and intercultural book design. As a design educator, she emphasizes listening, cross-cultural learning, and sustainable practices. Her supervision includes postgraduate research students working on topics like female printers in India, exhibition design, and architectural lettering.

Key scientific collaborations include major projects with Tara Books (international design awards), British Council-funded initiatives (Crafting Futures, Going Global Partnership), and the Murty Classical Library of India (Harvard University Press partnership). She consults on Indic typeface design with Adobe and Monotype.

Her design lab at Central Saint Martins (M9Design) works with international networks of editors, translators, and type designers. Current team projects focus on digital/print transitions, bilingual typography, and preserving endangered typographic practices through innovative publishing formats.