Rohan Kalyan

Rohan Kalyan is an Associate Professor and currently serves as the Acting Director of the School of World Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. His academic work spans multiple disciplines at the intersection of politics, culture, and theory, with a particular focus on postcolonial urbanism and comparative political systems.

Dr. Kalyan's research interests encompass a broad range of critical theoretical frameworks applied to contemporary political and urban phenomena. His work challenges conventional metro-centric views of globalization, particularly through his examination of cities in the Global South. He has developed a trans-disciplinary approach that combines political economy, urban studies, and visual culture to analyze changing urban life in postcolonial contexts. His research on comparative cultures of authoritarian politics in India and the U.S. represents a significant contribution to understanding contemporary political transformations across different geopolitical contexts.

Dr. Kalyan's scholarly output reveals a consistent engagement with questions of urban transformation, political subjectivity, and decolonial methodologies. His publications demonstrate an evolving trajectory from postcolonial urban studies toward analyses of contemporary authoritarian politics and event-based political theory. The interdisciplinary nature of his work bridges urban geography, political philosophy, film studies, and cultural anthropology, creating innovative connections between seemingly disparate fields.

As an educator and administrator, Dr. Kalyan brings his theoretical expertise to practical academic leadership as the Acting Director of the School of World Studies. His dual role as a scholar and filmmaker enriches his pedagogical approach, incorporating visual and cinematic methods into his teaching and research practices.

• Author of "Neo Delhi and the Politics of Postcolonial Urbanism" (Routledge, 2017)
• Co-director of documentary films including "Letter to the City Yet to Come" (2015), "A History of the Future" (2011), and "Badiou" (2018)
• Current research focuses on comparative authoritarian politics in India and the U.S.