Uma Kothari

Uma Kothari is a Professor of Postcolonial Studies at the Global Development Institute, University of Manchester, UK, and an Honorary Professor at the University of Melbourne. Her research focuses on colonialism, decoloniality, mobilities, environmental change, and postcolonial travelers. She has held roles including Director of the Global Development Institute (2013-2016) and Professor of Human Geography at the University of Melbourne (2019–2022).

Education:

• PhD Geography/Sociology, University of Edinburgh (1985–1990)
• MA Geography/History, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1982–1984)
• BA (Hons.) Geography, Middlesex University (1981–1982)
• Dip HE Geography, Westminster College, Oxford (1979–1981)

Research Interests:

Her work explores colonialism’s legacy, postcolonial identities, environmental justice, and the geographies of seafaring. Notable projects include:

• "Touring Britain in the 1950s": Analyzing postcolonial Indian travelers’ experiences
• "Environmental Change and Everyday Life": Visual methods in Maldives island communities
• "Cultural Geography of Seafarers": Maritime labor and globalization

Publications and Impact:

Recent works include Advanced Introduction to Critical Global Development (2023) and Challenging Global Development (2023). Her research addresses global inequalities, climate migration, and decolonizing development frameworks.

Awards and Roles:

• Royal Geographical Society Busk Medal (2014)
• UK Academy of Social Sciences Fellow
• Editorial roles for journals like Humanity and Journal für Entwicklungspolitik
• Member of UN SDGs panels and international advisory boards

Grants and Supervision:

Secured £100k Leverhulme Fellowship (2022–2025) and led a €450k COST Action (2020–2024). Supervised 24+ PhD students, including current advisees Anaa Maryam Hasan and Andriena Carillo.

Labs/Teams:

Leads interdisciplinary projects on arts-based education in fragile contexts and collaborates with global networks in Kenya, India, and South Africa.