Nara Sritharan
Visiting Assistant Research Professor, AidData & Department of Economics, William & Mary
Steering Group Member and Co-Founder, Diversifying and Decolonising Economics (D-Econ)
She/her
I am a Visiting Assistant Research Professor at AidData with a joint appointment at the William & Mary Department of Economics. I serve on the Steering Group and am a Co-Founder of Diversifying and Decolonising Economics (D-Econ). My research spans development economics, political economy, and migration studies, with a regional focus on South Asia and the Middle East.
My work is organized around three core research streams:
Development Finance and Foreign Aid: I examine how non-traditional donors—particularly the People’s Republic of China and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia—deploy development finance in the Global South, and the implications for governance, public opinion, and geopolitical alignment.
Migration and Remittances: I study the role of remittances in fragile and conflict-affected economies, the vulnerabilities of migrant workers (especially in South Asia and the Gulf), and the ripple effects of global transitions—such as decarbonization—on labor-exporting countries.
Identity, Inclusion, and Political Economy: I explore how development interventions affect marginalized communities, with a focus on Indigenous rights, displacement, and social cohesion. This includes transdisciplinary research on water governance, infrastructure, and environmental justice.
I am also part of the Nepal Water Initiative, an interdisciplinary research collaboration focused on water resource management, Indigenous rights, and environmental sustainability in Nepal.
Across these areas, I use mixed methods—including causal inference, qualitative interviews, and participatory approaches—and collaborate closely with students, policymakers, and local partners.