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School for Cross-faculty Studies Global Sustainable Development

Manila Khisa

Contact details

Email: Manila dot Khisa at warwick dot ac dot uk
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Current PhD student

Biography

Manila Khisa is currently pursuing her PhD in the Department of Global Sustainable Development at The University of Warwick, supported by a UK Commonwealth Scholarship. Her research focuses on exploring the postcolonial implications of intersectionality involving class, ethnicity, and gender within the workforce of the tourism sub-sectors in developing countries. Her broader academic interests revolve around the multifaceted dimensions of development concerning gender and ethnic minorities.

Manila's academic journey is complemented by a track record of research and publications in areas of women and gender minorities in developing countries, indigenous sustainability models, and community-based environmental management.

In addition to her doctoral studies, Manila is serving as an Assistant Professor on study leave at the Department of Development Studies, Bangladesh University of Professionals, located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Prior to transitioning into academia, she accumulated practical experience as a development professional, contributing to organizations such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Australian Red Cross.

Academic background

  • PhD in Global Sustainable Development, The University of Warwick, UK (2022- Present)
  • Master of Public Management (Global Public Policy), University of Potsdam, Germany
  • Bachelor of Development Studies with Honour’s in Geography, Environment and Population, The University of Adelaide, Australia

Supervisor(s)

Research Overview

Manila Khisa's doctoral research aims to explore the post-colonial implications of class-ethnicity-gender intersectionality within the tourism sub-sector workforce while fore-fronting uneven development, socio-economic exclusion, and the politics of minoritization.

Research Interests

  • Race/ethnicity, class, and gender intersectionality
  • Post-colonialism and decolonizing research methodologies
  • Ethnic and gender minorities
  • Indigenous models of sustainable development
  • Community-based environmental management in the developing world

Public Engagement

  • Organized capacity-building training and workshops in all 64 districts of Bangladesh under the Participatory Rural Development Project (PRDP) run by Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, Bangladesh from 2013 to 2014.
  • Provided technical and humanitarian support to people under immigration detention and helped them access services like education, housing, medical, well-being and community services through the "Immigration detention monitoring program” conducted by Australian Red Cross in Adelaide, Australia in 2011.

Publications and conference papers

  • Sifat, RI, Ahmed, F, Miah, MRA & Khisa, M (2022). Effects of COVID-19 on Livelihood, Health, and Psychology of Hijra Population: Insights from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Journal of Homosexuality. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2022.2048162
  • Jannat, S, Sifat, RI & Khisa, M (2022). Sexual and Reproductive Health Conditions of Women: Insights from Rohingya Refugee Women in Bangladesh. Sexuality Research and Social Policy. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-022-00758-z
  • Khisa, M, Rahman, L, Miah, MRA, Ahmed, F, Orin, JA & Swarna, SH (2020). Impact of Covid-19 on Dowry Induced Violence against Women─ A comparative study in the context of Bangladesh. World Vision, 13(1), pp. 74-84.
  • Khisa, M (2019). Decentralization of Public Services and the Role of Local Government in Rural Development: Findings from Bangladesh. International Journal of Social Science, 8(4), 87-95.
  • Khisa, M (2019). Gender Mainstreaming in Health Governance: Exploring the Inadequacies in Addressing Women’s Health Issues. BUP Journal, vol. 7, issue. 1, pp. 45- 56.
  • Khisa, M (2018). Community Based Ecotourism: A Driver to Achieve Sustainable Livelihoods in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh. Conference Paper, International Conference of Sustainable Development, Dhaka, Bangladesh, pp. 77- 78.

Funding and awards

  • Commonwealth PhD Scholarship funded by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (2022-Present)
  • DAAD Scholarship (Public Policy and Good Governance Program) for Master’s Degree funded by the Federal Government of Germany and the European Union (2015-16)
  • Australia Awards Scholarship for Bachelor’s Degree funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia (2008-11)