Dr Adrija Dey

Dr Adrija Dey is currently a British Academy post-doctoral research fellow at the SOAS South Asia Institute. Her research is titled Gender Based Violence in Indian Universities: A Study of Campus Life, Student Activism, and Institutional Responses.  This research seeks to address Gender Based Violence (GBV) on university campuses across India by looking at how university campuses relate to the broader context and debates surrounding women in public spaces, sexual and gender based violence, and institutional structures and responses. This study will also explore campus culture and concepts of safety and further draw on broader structures of discrimination, patriarchy, social, cultural, economic and political norms in India to show how these shape institutions and campus cultures creating a propensity for unsafe environments on university campuses for women and LGBT communities.

Previously Adrija worked as a Lecturer in new media at Birmingham City University and a Research Associate in the Chevening South Asia Journalism Programme at the University of Westminster. She completed her PhD in Media, Culture and Society from the University of Hull and her thesis was titled ‘Silence No More’: An In-Depth Cyberconflict Analysis of the Nirbhaya Rape Case and Digital Gender Activism in India. The focus of her PhD research was to investigate the use of digital technologies and social media by civil society actors, activists and organisations specifically for gender activism in India. Her research interests lie in the field of gender studies, digital activism, cyberconflict and surveillance, digital narratives, intersectionality and masculinity. Her research draw on insights from a wide range of disciplines, including media movements and radical politics, social movement studies, gender studies and postcolonial studies

While pursuing her Masters in Creative Systems from the University of Sussex, she developed a strong interest in interdisciplinary research particularly related to gender, social media and digital technologies. Originally from Calcutta, India, Adrija has been associated with political and gender activism as a student and that has greatly influenced her research interests. Apart from her research, Adrija is passionate about theatre and has been connected to professional theatre for last 15 years.

Gender Based Violence in Indian Universities: A Study of Campus Life, Student Activism, and Institutional Responses.