Ursula Rao

Ursula Rao is an Honorary Professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Leipzig and Director of the Department of 'Ethnology, Politics and Governance' at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Halle. Previously, she served as a full Professor of Anthropology at Leipzig (2012-2020) and held academic positions at the University of New South Wales, University of Halle, and University of Heidelberg.

Her research examines power structures and governance in India, with four core foci:

• City-Space: Digital technologies' impact on urban India (e.g., Smart Cities project)
• Digital Governance: Biometric systems and citizen-state relations
• Media/Politics: Mediatization of social relationships
• Ritual Theory: Rituals as tools for social transformation

She leads major DFG-funded projects including Digital Governance and Respatialization of the Indian State (2020-2023) and co-directs the Shaping Asia Network. She teaches academic writing workshops for anthropology MA students and delivers guest lectures on South Asia, Hinduism, and globalization.