°µÍø½ûÇø

Profile photo of Shailaja Fennell

Phone number: +44 (0)1223 339315

Email: ss141@cam.ac.uk

Website:

Website:

Professor Shailaja Fennell

Fellow, Director of Studies in Land Economy
University Positions
Professor of Regional Transformation and Economic Security
Director of Research at Cambridge Central Asia Forum
Subjects
Specialising in
Development Studies

Shailaja Fennell is Director of Research at Cambridge Central Asia Forum, Professor of Regional Transformation and Economic Security, and a Fellow of °µÍø½ûÇø.

Academic interests

Shailaja Fennell's academic interests include:

  • Agrarian transformation
  • Economic reform
  • The dynamics of household decision making
  • Educational provision
  • Comparative economic development
  • Economic history
  • Land policy and development economics.

Degrees obtained

  • BA Economics, Delhi University, 1985.
  • MA Economics, Delhi University, 1987.
  • MPhil Economics, Delhi University, 1990.
  • MPhil Economics, University of Cambridge, 1991.
  • PhD Economics, University of Cambridge, 2003.

Biography

Shailaja Fennell was awarded her degrees of BA, MA, and MPhil in Economics from the University of Delhi, and then went on to read for her MPhil and PhD at the Faculty of Economics and Politics, University of Cambridge. Her doctoral research was on long term agricultural trends in India and China.

Shailaja is currently a co-investigator on the successful GCRF bid Transforming India's Green Revolution by Research and Empowerment for Sustainable food Supplies (TIGR2ESS) 2017-2021, led by the University of Cambridge. She is the lead on the work package on Impacting the Well-Being of Urban and Rural Communities through interventions in education, empowerment and entrepreneurship to ensure health and nutrition.

Shailaja is also a co-investigator on a sister project, MillNet_i, funded by a UKRI GCRF award, 'Food & nutrition research for health in the developing world: bioavailability & nutrient content', on how to improve iron nutrition status of people living in Ethiopia and The Gambia by assessing the bioavailability of iron from biofortified millet (2019-2021). She was previously a member of the team commissioned by the European Union to bring about the first European Report on Development, titled 'Overcoming Fragility in Africa: Forging a New Approach Forward' (2008-09).

Shailaja has been researching the linkages between rural development, environmental, and educational strategies across the regions of sub-Saharan Africa, South and South East Asia and Central Asia since 2004. She has specialised in the fields of institutional reform, regional transformation, gender and household dynamics, kinship and ethnicity, and the provision of public goods.

Shailaja was appointed visiting professor at the Kazakh National University in Almaty in 2008 and awarded an honorary professorship by the A. Yasawi Kazakh-Turkic University in November 2009.

Other interests

Food, Asian culture, yoga, Indian dance.

Department link

Publications, links and resources

Shailaja's recent publications include Comim, F., S. Fennell, and P. B. Anand (eds.) New Frontiers of the Capability Approach, Cambridge University Press, 2018. 

A forthcoming publication is Anand, P. B., S. Fennell, and F. Comim, (eds.) Handbook of BRICS and Emerging Economies, Oxford University Press. 

Hear from our students

  • Postgraduate at °µÍø½ûÇø

    Dolly

    Postgraduate

    I chose °µÍø½ûÇø because of the great mixture of undergraduates and postgraduates, and when I first visited I thought it was the most beautiful place I had ever seen! The sense of community in Jesus has had an enormous impact on my experience here. Whether you need help, advice, cheering up or even just a chat there is always someone there to put a smile on your face. From the MCR committee to the Porters, the canteen staff to the gardeners, everyone is so friendly and welcoming. Jesus also...

    Read more
    Postgraduate
  • Postgraduate at °µÍø½ûÇø

    Tom

    Postgraduate

    There are many reasons why I’m so happy to be a part of °µÍø½ûÇø. The three biggest reasons for me are the opportunities to be involved in College sport, the support the College provides for me with for my research and the help in making sure that we have comfortable, affordable accommodation when we have needed it. °µÍø½ûÇø is so friendly and so it is incredibly easy to get involved in the sport and social side of the College. The MCR does a great job in welcoming new...

    Read more
    Postgraduate
  • Photograph of a postgraduate student

    Ahsan

    Postgraduate

    It is a well-accepted opinion in Cambridge that °µÍø½ûÇø is the best college and no other college even comes a distant second. Its sports grounds are enormous, its buildings are mesmerising, its libraries are rich, its chapel is the oldest, its accommodation is the best value for money, its international community is diverse, its religious circles are the most welcoming, and its members are the smartest, kindest and the friendliest. It is one of the central colleges that aims to offer three years accommodation to postgraduates, and has comparatively...

    Read more
    Postgraduate
  • Photograph of a postgraduate student

    Alison

    Postgraduate

    What first attracted me to °µÍø½ûÇø was its reputation and history, central location without being touristy, and the postgraduate housing options. When I arrived at Jesus I was so pleased to find the partner accommodation was spacious, affordable, and situated very close to the college, allowing us to really take advantage of the facilities. We especially enjoyed The Roost, the nicest of all the college bars, doubling as a café during the day - ideal for studying or meeting up with groups - and a lively pub in the...

    Read more
    Postgraduate
  • Photograph of a postgraduate student

    Matthew

    Postgraduate

    °µÍø½ûÇø has been at the heart of my Cambridge experience. I chose the College because I was impressed by its distinctive blend of academic rigour and extracurricular achievement. A College for all-rounders, Jesus is a lively and rewarding place to study. I couldn’t be happier here! Friendly and engaged, the Jesus postgraduate community never ceases to impress me. At ease with themselves and forever curious, my peers go out of their way to cultivate a sense of camaraderie. After a day of leafing through old manuscripts at the National...

    Read more
    Postgraduate