Instructor at Cornell University
GOVT 1101:109 Non-State Governance (First-year Writing Seminar)
Syllabus: Fall 2025
GOVT 2444 Politics in South Asia (Undergraduate Lecture)
Syllabus is coming for Spring 2026 :)
Wondering if you should enroll? Maybe you already follow elections in India and protests in Sri Lanka or have family in Pakistan, or maybe you are just curious about how democracy, inequality, and power actually work beyond the West. South Asia is home to over 2 billion people, or a quarter of the world's population. It has the world's largest democracy (India), a country where politics is a tug-of-war between military and populists (Pakistan), one of the fastest-growing yet most climate-vulnerable economies (Bangladesh), and a country that recently underwent mass protests and rapid party realignment (Sri Lanka).
In this course, we'll explore political institutions and behavior all across the region. We'll interpret current political events, look at maps, watch television shows like Panchayat, and interact with guest speakers/practitioners involved in politics and policy on the ground. No background required—just curiosity and a willingness to debate, write, and think critically about how politics shapes everyday life.