Debashree Saikia
Dr.
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About
A Sociologist working at the intersection of policy, people, and practice, with over a decade of experience bridging academic research and real-world governance. My work engages deeply with gender justice, tribal knowledge systems in North East India, environmental sustainability, and public policy transformation. I specialize in translating lived experiences into actionable policy insights.
Experience
Research Fellow at ARPA Opportunity Foundation (2024-04 – Present)
- Conducting policy-oriented research on public health systems and nutrition missions
- Producing impact-driven reports, case studies, and donor documentation
- Engaging communities to document lived experiences of poverty and malnutrition
International Research Fellow at Emory University (2024-05 – 2024-11)
- Worked on a multi-country comparative project on COVID-19 memorialization
- Conducted thematic analysis across India, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Italy, France, and Germany
- Contributed to globally relevant policy narratives and research outputs
Research Fellow (AI & Society) at IIT Madras – AI4Bharat Project (2024-11 – 2024-12)
- Collaborated on Indic Large Language Model (LLM) development
- Worked on data pipelines, annotation systems, and multilingual AI datasets
- Bridged social science insights with emerging AI technologies
Post-Doctoral Research Associate at IIT Delhi (2023-10 – 2024-03)
- Engaged in interdisciplinary research on governance and development
- Contributed to policy-relevant academic outputs and project design
Doctoral Fellow at Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) (2023-01 – 2023-12)
- Conducted research on governance, administrative reforms, and social justice
- Prepared reports for ministries and government stakeholders
Project Researcher at Sponsored Studies (2012-01 – 2014-12)
- Women and Mental Health (ICMR)
- Rice Productivity & Irrigation (SBI)
- Women Empowerment through SHGs
- Led fieldwork, impact assessments, and policy documentation
Education
Post-Doctorate – IIT Delhi (2023-01 – 2024-12)
Ph.D. in Sociology – Jawaharlal Nehru University (2023-01)
M.Phil. in Sociology – Jawaharlal Nehru University (2016-01)
M.A. in Sociology – Tezpur University (2014-01)
B.A. in Sociology – NEHU (2012-01)
