About

Established in 2018, ESSAIR proactively –

  • hosts an annual conference in Europe dedicated to scholars working on the International Relations of South Asia, at which established academics and policy experts, emerging scholars and postgraduate students meet to discuss, exchange and synthesise their ideas;
  • represents, promotes and enhances the work of ESSAIR members by building a durable research network based on existing specialist expertise and experience that shares academic best practice, stimulates collaboration on research and grant applications, and produces collective publications; and
  • reflects a plurality of cutting-edge theoretical perspectives on the study of South Asia under the aegis of International Relations and History; including political science, security studies, foreign policy, International Relations theory, comparative politics and institutionalism, among others.

For more details, see our Founding Document.

Current Steering Committee

ESSAIR is currently led by a Steering Committee consisting of – Chris Ogden (University of St Andrews), Raphaëlle Khan (City University of New York), Nicolas Blarel (Leiden University), Avinash Paliwal (SOAS) and Elisabeth Leake (Tufts University).

Founding Steering Committee

ESSAIR was founded by the original Steering Committee of – Chris Ogden (University of St Andrews), Raphaëlle Khan (Asia Center, Harvard University), Nicolas Blarel (Leiden University), Arndt Michael (University of Freiburg) and Hannes Ebert (Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue).