Professional Biography
Professor Nirmala Rao is currently Vice Chancellor of Krea University, a liberal arts university located in South India. She was formerly Vice Chancellor of the Asian University for Women between 2017 and 2022; Pro-Director at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) from 2008 to 2017; and Pro-Warden for Academic Affairs at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Nirmala took her first degree in Economics at Delhi University in 1979; her M.A from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; and her Ph.D. from the University of London. She has published extensively in the field of urban politics; some of her books include Reshaping City Governance; Cities in Transition; Governing London; and Transforming Local Political Leadership.
Nirmala has extensive experience in public service and has served as an advisor to a range of bodies, including the UK Audit Commission and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). For a number of years, she was a lay member of the General Council of the Bar, a non-executive director of NHS Hospital Trust, and a member of the Architects Registration Board. She is currently a member of the Governing Body of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and a Trustee of United World Schools. Nirmala was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in 2003 and awarded an OBE for services to scholarship in 2011.
