Bridging knowledge gaps: Rural serving HEIs as equity catalysts in India. Online session April 2026

Hosted by the SRHE and drawing on findings from 5 states across India from the WAHEI project based at the University of Warwick, this session examines the critical but overlooked role of faculty members (FMs) in rural-serving state universities & government colleges in advancing equity & social justice within Indian HE. Despite significant expansion of the HE sector in India, first-generation learners from rural & semi-urban communities continue to face substantial barriers to access, primarily due to limited knowledge about HE opportunities, processes, and pathways. The Indian National Education Policy acknowledges these challenges and emphasises the potential of local institutions to address them. Drawing on ongoing international research work, the session explores how FMs in these institutions can serve as knowledge bridges between HE systems and communities with limited HE exposure. The session will analyse faculty engagement practices and policy frameworks that enable or constrain outreach efforts. The presenters include faculty members from HE institutions located in various provinces across India who are involved in relevant research. The insights will offer valuable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in implementing equity-focused outreach initiatives within specific national and regional contexts. Speaker bios: Nidhi Sabharwal is a National Fellow, National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, New Delhi, India, and Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Warwick, UK. She has also served as the Director at the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, New Delhi. Her research focuses on access and equity in HE, including college readiness, diversity, social inclusion and academic success of students from disadvantaged groups. She is Co-PI of the project 'Widening Access to Higher Education in India: Institutional Approaches' (WAHEI). Emily F. Henderson is a Professor and Director of the Doctoral Education and Academia Research Centre (DEAR), Education Studies, University of Warwick, UK. Her research and approach to teaching are inherently international and interdisciplinary. She is the Co-PI of the project “Widening Access to Higher Education in India: Institutional Approaches” (WAHEI). Ann Stewart is Professor of Law at the School of Law, University of Warwick, UK. She has held the position of Ford Visiting Professorial Fellow at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She specialises in issues relating to gender justice and human rights, with long-standing research interests in Eastern & Southern Africa and India. S. Arokia Mary, Doctoral Scholar, ESRC-UKRI (1+3) years funded PhD, Department of Education Studies, University of Warwick, UK. Her doctoral research examines gendered processes of doctoral socialisation within the politically contested context of Kashmir. She has completed an empirical diary-based study exploring the academic socialisation of doctoral students in India. Her work documents the higher education experiences of Transgender students in India and implementation of sexual harassment law in HE institutions. Rajeshwari is Professor & Chairperson of Department of Geography, Kurukshetra University, Haryana. She has worked at JNU and NCAER (National council of applied economic research), New Delhi, before joining teaching at Kurukshetra University. With 28 years of teaching experience, she specialises in the field of human, social geography and application of geospatial technology in various aspects of geography. Polly Vauquline is Professor and Head of the Department of Women’s Studies at Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam. Her areas of specialisation include Gender Geography and Women’s Studies. Abdul Gafoor K is Senior Professor of Education and Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Calicut. He formerly served as Head of the Department of Education and Project Head of the Teaching Learning Centre (PMMMNMTT), as well as State Project Leader for the WAHEI International collaboration with NIEPA and the University of Warwick. A specialist in educational research methodology, Outcome-Based Education (OBE), teacher education, educational psychology, and research tool development. Dhanashri Jayant Mahajan is Senior Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University and Director of the UGC Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC). She was also Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and also was head of Department of Economics. She holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics, with academic specialisation in Industrial Economics, International Economics, and Public Economics. Lukeshwar Singh Gajpal is Professor and Head of the School of Regional Studies and Research at Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India. He specialises in sociology with research interest in rural agricultural labour and migration, including work with tribal communities in Chhattisgarh.