Sayali Shankar

Sayali Shankar’s area of work at IIHS is research coordination and institutional management. She is part of the Research Office, where she supports research development, project coordination, and grant management. Her responsibilities include facilitating interdisciplinary research programmes, supporting ethics and compliance processes, coordinating institutional reporting, and contributing to internal systems for research administration.

Prior to joining IIHS, Sayali worked at the Department of Women and Gender Studies, Savitribai Phule Pune University, where she held academic and administrative roles for over seven years. She contributed to multi-institutional national and international research collaborations. Her work included managing research related project activities, liaising with partners, overseeing financial documentation, and supporting research communication.

Sayali holds a post-graduate degree in Gender, Culture and Development Studies from Savitribai Phule Pune University. Her academic training is grounded in feminist principles and praxis informed by Phule-Ambedkarite knowledge traditions. She is interested in pursuing research which explores the dynamics of subjectivity, affect and higher education. She has also designed and taught undergraduate course on urban safety mapping in Pune, combining critical pedagogy with community-oriented research. Her approach to research and institutional work is shaped by a commitment to collaborative, ethics-driven, and socially responsive knowledge-making.