Devi Chakrabarti

Background

About Devi Chakrabarti

I am a final-year Doctoral Researcher in Social Anthropology at the University of Cambridge, where my research focuses on the socio-cultural impacts of the 2015 earthquakes in Bhaktapur, Nepal—a UNESCO World Heritage Site. My work explores themes of heritage conservation, identity, religious practice, and place-making in the aftermath of environmental disasters. With over eight years of experience in field-based and qualitative research, I specialise in the anthropology of religion, heritage, sustainability, displacement, and the socio-political impacts of environmental crises. I have conducted extensive ethnographic fieldwork in Nepal, West Bengal, and Sri Lanka, working closely with local communities, elected officials, and governmental and non-governmental stakeholders. My training as a social anthropologist has equipped me with deep expertise in intersectionality, gender, and identity—enabling me to engage critically with complex socio-political and environmental issues. Alongside academia, I have taken steps to contribute to international human rights and advocacy work, most recently with Amnesty International and Anti-Slavery International, where I worked on issues of caste, climate change, labour, and structural inequality in South Asia. I am skilled at translating grounded, community-based research into policy-relevant insights and have worked with both governmental and non-governmental frameworks. My research and writing support social justice, human rights, and inclusive policy design. I am also passionate about safeguarding cultural heritage and have collaborated on projects such as the UNESCO ICH Listing Nomination for Durga Puja in Kolkata, where I worked across stakeholder groups to synthesise complex cultural knowledge into official documentation. I also hold an M.Phil from the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata, and a Master’s in Sociology from Presidency University. I aim to build a career that bridges academic rigour with real-world impact, combining research, advocacy, and human rights.