The Faculty Advisory Committee comprises distinguished Columbia University faculty who provide academic leadership and guidance for the Center’s activities. Their insights help reflect Columbia’s educational strengths and promote academic exchange in what we do.
The Committee plays a vital role in connecting the Center with faculty interests, identifying opportunities for collaboration, and developing innovative programs that engage with important regional challenges. They represent a wide spectrum of faculty interests and disciplinary areas, selected for their expertise in India as well as their dedication to advancing global scholarship.
Mumbai FSC
Akeel Bilgrami
Sidney Morgenbesser Professor of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy
Mumbai FSC
Ruth S DeFries
University Professor; Denning Family Professor of Sustainable Development, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology; Co-Founding Dean, Columbia Climate School, Columbia University
Mumbai FSC
Vishakha N Desai
Senior Advisor for Global Affairs to the President; Senior Research Scholar, School of International and Public Affairs; Chair, Committee on Global Thought, Columbia University
Mumbai FSC
Lynn P Freedman
Professor, Department of Population and Family Health; Director, Averting Maternal Death and Disability (AMDD) Program; Director, Law and Policy Project, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Mumbai FSC
Nikhar Gaikwad
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science; Member, Committee on Global Thought, Columbia University
Mumbai FSC
Thomas Hatch
Professor of Education and Director, National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, and Teaching (NCREST), Teachers College, Columbia University
Mumbai FSC
Garud N. Iyengar
Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research; Avanessians Director, Data Science Institute, Columbia University
Mumbai FSC
Shivaram Rajgopal
Kester and Byrnes Professor of Accounting and Auditing, Columbia Business School
Mumbai FSC
Anupama Rao
Professor, Department of History and Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies (MESAAS), Columbia University; Professor, Barnard College
Mumbai FSC
Anil K. Rustgi, MD
Herbert and Florence Irving Director, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
2025 Scholar-in-Residence
Mumbai FSC
Kathrin Schilling, PhD
Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Mumbai FSC
Adam Sobel
Professor, Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics; Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University
Mumbai FSC
Olajide A. Williams, MD, MS
Professor of Neurology; Vice Dean of Community Health; Vice Chair of Neurology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Urban Works 2020-2021 Mentors
Mumbai FSC
Ioannis Kymissis
Chair and Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia Engineering