Swetha Dhananka Rao is a professor at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Western Switzerland, School of Social Work, Fribourg, Switzerland. She obtained her PhD from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland and was a post-doc fellow at the Development Planning Unit at UCL (London) and the Indian Institute of Human Settlements (Bangalore). Her interests and teaching articulate around community approaches in social work, ecological social work, international social work, space shaping social relations, urbanisation processes – particularly with regard to its social effects, various institutional responses and political claim-making.
René Véron is a professor of human geography at the University of Lausanne with primary interests in the fields of development studies and political ecology. His current research addresses issues of urban environmental governance in the global South. He has been involved in international collaborations in South Asia since the mid-1990s working mostly in India (Kerala, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat) and more recently also in Nepal and Sri Lanka. Many of his research projects are policy-oriented and include the communication of findings to wider audiences.
Lena Robra is a curious scientist and trained biochemist with a strong interest in sustainability. She currently heads the Academic Engagement team at Swissnex in India and is part of the K2A executive committee.
Taenaz Shakir is a public policy and human geography researcher. She is a master of public policy graduate from IIT Bombay and bachelor of planning graduate from School of Planning and Architecture Bhopal. She has also had a brief stint in journalism and has worked for Reuters News and the Outlook group. Her research interests include socio-spatial and environmental injustice.
She is currently pursuing her doctoral studies at University of Lausanne and works as a scientific collaborator at HETS-Fribourg.
Sahana Sitaraman is a science writer and illustrator. She enjoys writing about anything that catches her fantasy. She is a strong proponent of bridging the gap between scientists and the general public. She firmly believes that disseminating scientific data with its stakeholders and integrating science into the society sets the stage for the inclusion of diverse voices in the formation of policies based in science. When not writing about the wonders that surround us, Sahana spends her time hiking, trying out recipes from different cuisines, playing board games and singing. She is the documentation specialist for K2A.
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