Professor Upasana Mahanta from Assam has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Indian appointed to the prestigious Strategic Higher Education Advisory Council (SHEAC) of Cambridge International. Currently serving as the Dean of Admissions and Outreach at O.P. Jindal Global University, Dr. Mahanta’s appointment represents a significant advancement for Indian representation in global educational leadership.
The SHEAC brings together senior leaders in admissions and enrollment from the world’s most renowned academic institutions, including the University of Oxford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Cambridge, University of Toronto, and Monash University. This elite council provides crucial insights and guidance on the global recognition and integration of Cambridge qualifications across international higher education systems.
Born in Sivasagar, Assam, Dr. Mahanta brings impressive academic credentials to her new role. She is an alumna of Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and the University of British Columbia in Canada. Her scholarly work has primarily focused on law, gender, and social justice issues, and she previously served as a faculty member at the prestigious Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai.
Professor Upasana Mahanta focuses her research on the role of women in emergent political institutions, gendered understanding of conflict, women organizing and resisting in insecure contexts, and examining development through a gendered lens. She has an extensive publication record that includes numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, books, special journal issues, and opinion pieces.
Professor Mahanta earned her Ph.D. from the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.
She was also a Shastri Doctoral Fellow in the Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Prior to joining OPJGU, she was a faculty member at the Centre for Women’s Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai. In addition to her research and teaching responsibilities, Professor Mahanta has held various administrative positions at OPJGU, including Director of the Office of Student Life and Cultural Engagement and Senior Addition Registrar. Currently, she serves as the Dean of Admissions and Outreach.”
As the first representative from Assam in this globally renowned council, Dr. Mahanta’s appointment also highlights the northeastern state’s growing contributions to academic leadership on the world stage, potentially opening doors for greater academic collaboration between institutions in Northeast India and leading global universities.
