Dr. Soumyajit Chakraborty

Professor Soumyajit Chakraborty specialises in development and public economics as an applied microeconomist. His research intends to examine connections between human capital accumulation and various markets in emerging nations, such as the marriage market, labour market, etc. He also focuses on healthcare access, agronomic knowledge, institutional discrimination, and the socio-ecological politics of return migration. Professor Chakraborty received his Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico in the United States, his M.Phil. from the University of Calcutta, and his M.A. and B.A. (Honors) from Visva-Bharati (Central) University in India. Chakraborty is interested in cuisine exploration, music, and behavioural photography.

Prior to joining UPES, Prof. Chakraborty carried a post-doctoral fellowship at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences Calcutta (CSSSC), and before that, he worked as a faculty member in the Department of Economics at the University of New Mexico (UNM), USA, while pursuing a Ph.D. in economics. He also held positions at the Ranaghat College of the University of Kalyani and the Institute of Development Studies in Kolkata (IDSK).

Applied Microeconomics I Public Policy I Development Economics I Health and Family I Labour I Behavioural Economics I Neuroeconomics

Due to his upbringing in Calcutta, India, and his education in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States, Professor Chakraborty has a unique view of life. Specifically, he emphasises the importance of a liberal education. Chakraborty favours classroom dialogues over homework assignments; on occasion, he even reverses roles and becomes the learner. He believes that teaching should have at least five main objectives: (a) communicating understanding as opposed to memorization; (b) evaluating the diversity of the students; (c) ensuring thought leadership as well as approachability; (d) personally benefiting from the experience; and (e) creating human capital as a whole.

Econometrics, Development Economics, Global Economics, Managerial Economics, Business Economics, Microeconomics, and Macroeconomics are among the core economics courses taught by Professor Chakraborty. Moreover, he occasionally enjoys instructing challenging courses, such as Population Health Research Methods, Managing Trade & Risk in International Business, Political Economy of Development, Political Thought and Thinkers in Public Policy, etc.

The University of New Mexico (UNM), USA, awarded Professor Chakraborty the UNM Leadership Award (University Honor) for his exemplary contribution to student mentorship. In addition to the Dean's Scholarship, Feminist Research Grant, and Friedrich Hayek Fund for Scholars (Ph.D.), Chakraborty was awarded dissertation scholarships for his M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees. He also earned the Gerald and Vivian Boyle Memorial Award in Economics, the Guillermina Jasso Award, and the Ruddar Dutt Young Scholar in Labor Economics Award. Chakraborty also possesses gold medals for his bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from Visva-Bharati (Central) University in India.

Prof. Chakraborty collaborates with a diverse faculty that includes economists, sociologists, demographers, doctors, and political scientists. He is currently working on multidisciplinary research projects such as access to drinking water as a human right, financial inclusion as a targeted policy intervention, and others. He is an affiliate of the Global Labor Organization (GLO) and a board member of the Himalayan Policy Research Consortium (HPRC), an international research platform. He is also actively involved in assisting disadvantaged undergraduate students who are applying for Master's or Ph.D. programs, as well as in helping them build academic resumes and job-market statements of purpose.

soumyajit.c@ddn.upes.ac.in