Scholarships and prizes

The Alumni Scholarship was not just financial support — it was a transformative chapter in my life. It opened a world of possibility, equipping me with the confidence, insight, and global exposure that continue to shape who I am today. Coming from a small village in Kerala to working with UNICEF, traveling for global health work, and speaking at the United Nations — these were not distant dreams, but real experiences made possible by this scholarship. It empowered me to believe, to lead, and to thrive on the global stage.

This scholarship did more than support my education. As a young African woman working in a multilateral humanitarian setting, my experience at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has given me a front-row seat to how trust-based, flexible funding mechanisms can strengthen local actors to lead their own progress. It is through the
scholarship that my distant dreams turned into lived experiences and placed me in spaces I never imagined, where I now continue to grow and contribute to global impact.

I’m deeply grateful to the Institute and its alumni for enabling me to build my career at this premier institution which would have been out of reach otherwise, and for deepening my conviction to give back through my work. This experience opened academic and professional doors and connected me to an amazing community that continues to inspire me every day. Thank you for championing diversity of thought, experience, and values.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for the scholarship and the institution, both of which have provided me with invaluable opportunities to pursue my academic interests in international law. The scholarship has not only supported my studies but has also opened doors to new possibilities and experiences that have significantly enriched my academic journey. I deeply miss the diverse and inclusive environment, the warm and welcoming community, and the intellectually stimulating and rigorous academic discussions that characterized my time at the institution. These experiences have left a lasting impression on me, and I remain profoundly grateful for the opportunities afforded to me.

I'm currently a postdoctoral fellow affiliated with the University of Oxford, with the support of the Swiss National Science Foundation's Postdoc. Mobility Grant. My ongoing research centres on digital land governance technologies in India and looks into their impact on land rights, in terms of security and transparency. I also serve on the editorial board of Grassroots, a section of the Journal of Political Ecology, and run a public-facing blog called Unruly Dialogues, which sources content from academia and beyond on matters related to the environment.