Mallika Shakya

Prof. Mallika Shakya is a Guest Professor at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), holding a W2 position in the Department of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Theology. She leads the Elite Master Program 'Standards of Decision Making Across Cultures' (SDAC) and is affiliated with FAU's Institute for Near Eastern and East Asian Languages and Civilizations. Her academic journey includes PhD training at the London School of Economics (LSE), University of Oxford, and University of Glasgow, alongside a decade-long career at the World Bank and UNICEF. Shakya specializes in social anthropology, focusing on industrialization, labour movements, and poetic nation-building in South Asia.

Her research bridges anthropology with interdisciplinary collaboration, involving poets, artists, and medical professionals. Key projects include studies on anti-microbial resistance among South Asian labour migrants and the cultural politics of Nepal's garment industry. Shakya has authored influential works like *Death of an Industry* (2018), recognized as a classic in Nepali studies. She editorially oversees *Society and Culture in South Asia* (SCSA) and contributes to journals like *Dialectical Anthropology* and *Human Economy*.

Shakya has held leadership roles, including Acting Head of Department at the South Asian University (SAU), where she designed sociology curricula and founded the Nepal Lecture Series. Her teaching spans courses on South Asian poetics, economic anthropology, and border studies. Beyond academia, she advocates for gender equity and has addressed human rights through media and policy engagements.