Amitava Chowdhury

Amitava Chowdhury is an Associate Professor and Chair of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of History at Queen's University, within the Faculty of Arts and Science. He holds a Ph.D. from Washington State University and has been recognized for his teaching excellence, including the 2012 Department of History Teaching Award and a nomination for the Frank Knox Prize. His research focuses on global history, colonial plantations in the British Caribbean and Indian Ocean, diaspora theories, and the archaeology of slavery. He co-edited Between Dispersion and Belonging, which won the 2017 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Award.

Chowdhury’s academic roles include co-director of Queen's Global History Initiative and Special Advisor to the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science. He has taught at all levels, advocating for globalizing and decolonizing curricula. His fieldwork in Mauritius led to UNESCO designations for Aapravasi Ghat and Le Morne Brabant. He has organized major conferences, including the 2020 Global Histories of Colonialism and 2017 Inaugural Global History Initiative Conference.

His work bridges archaeology and history, examining identity, nationalism, and diaspora formations among Indian migrant communities. Recent publications explore themes like marronage (slave flight), global inequality, and transnational networks. Teaching and research interests span British colonial history, South Asian diasporas, and oceanic history.