Ritesh Shah

My research is driven by the key global ambition, signalled in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), that all children inherit a world that is more just, equitable and peaceful than the one we inhabit today. I investigate how quality, relevant, inclusive education in conflict-affected contexts can contribute to this goal. Leading the Faculty’s work on Comparative and International Education (CIE) research, I bridge several disciplines—including sociology, politics, international relations, and anthropology—and two broad fields of study, education and development studies, to do so. A significant aspect of my work involves bridging the academic-practice divide through applied research (commissioned reports and evaluations), which have demonstrable impact on communities of practice internationally. The commendation for my Early Career Research Excellence Award awarded in 2017 notes, “he undertakes this innovative and groundbreaking research and scholarship, not because it will further his career but because he wishes to make a difference to vulnerable populations caught up in the aftermath of international conflicts and disasters.”