Centre for Humanitarian Studies

Overview

Centre for Humanitarian Studies (CHS) is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to pursuing knowledge in humanitarian studies using evidence-based and participatory approaches to conflict research and humanitarianism. CHS aims to

to generate valuable insights into the genesis and trajectory of past and current humanitarian crises through policy research, training and practice focusing on effective health responses.
to disseminate our findings to the wider public, beyond academic circles.
to provide a platform to understand the plight of vulnerable populations in crises and develop materials that could be adopted for teaching, research and wider dissemination.

To this end, the Centre seeks to cultivate an extensive network of individuals, among academics and partners in the field across various schools in OP Jindal Global University, primarily from the Jindal School of Public Health, the Jindal School of International Affairs, and the Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences, and potentially to be extended to the Jindal School of Journalism and Communication and the Jindal School of Government and Public Policy.

Membership

Centre Chair:
Dr Sneha Krishnan Link to profile https://jgu.edu.in/jsph/faculty/prof-dr-sneha-krishnan

Dr Sweta Sen,
Assistant Professor, Jindal School of International Affairs Link profile - https://jgu.edu.in/jsia/faculty/dr-sweta-sen

Hanan Zaffar
Assistant Professor, Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences

Aarti Duhan
Assistant Manager, Office of Career Services, JG

Student memberships

2024-2025
	Aavardhan Batch 2022-2025, Final Year, B.A.(Hons.) Psychology and Counselling Title: A systematic review on mental-health impacts of conflict-induced displacement on children Testimonial: “Working on the systematic review of the mental health impacts of conflict-induced displacement on children has been a deeply enriching experience. It allowed me to analyse the unique challenges faced by displaced children and explore how evidence-based interventions can protect and promote their mental well-being. This work has strengthened my resolve to address global mental health disparities and support vulnerable populations through targeted, research-driven strategies”
	Bhaskar Jha Batch, Year and Programme: B.A.(Hons.) Political Science, 2022 Title: Indigenous peace-making in Northeast India Testimonial: “During my internship with CHS, I supported research on the Informal Women peace building groups active in Nagaland I learnt how to gather data from news pieces. I learnt how these Informal women piece building groups have been connecting and acting as a voice for the common women in these areas. Through this experience, I was able to enhance my knowledge about the struggles in the Northeastern India, and I am also determined to analyse the intricacies and find solutions for the same in the future.”
	Manya Sachdeva 2023-25, Masters in Public Health, 2nd Year Title: Women, Conflict, and Healthcare: Access, Negotiation, and Agency in the Indo-Myanmar Borderland, focusing on the Champhai district and the Zokhawthar border. My work involved providing contextual background and analysis on the status and conditions of women in the region, linking it to discussions on disease burden. Additionally, I explored the role of international organizations like Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in conflict-affected areas. Testimonial: “Working on this project was an incredible experience, shedding light on an issue that is rarely discussed—especially from a public health and women-centric perspective. The data was fascinating, offering deep insights into the intersection of healthcare and conflict. My mentors, Professor Sneha Krishnan and Professor Sweta, played a crucial role in guiding me, pushing me beyond my limits to critically analyze and brainstorm every aspect of the topic.”
	Sai Pravallika Dhaksharaju. Master’s in Public Health, 2024-2026. Title: “Women, Conflict and Healthcare: Access, Negotiation and Agency in the Indo-Myanmar Borderland: Report on forcibly displaced populations in Mizoram.” Testimonial: My primary role involved conducting quantitative analysis to examine key challenges faced by Burmese refugees and internally displaced persons from Manipur. I reported findings on maternal and child health, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and access to primary healthcare. Currently, I am exploring healthcare affordability for refugee populations in Delhi, the challenges in accessing healthcare services, and out-of-pocket expenditure incurred. Additionally, I am interested in examining the complex therapeutic landscape where biomedicine and complementary/alternative medicine shape population health-seeking behaviour.
2023-2024
	Aarti Duhan Conflict Mapping, Assistant Manager, Office of Career Services Title: Women, Conflict, and Healthcare: Access, Negotiation, and Agency in the Indo-Myanmar Borderlands As part of this project, I worked on compiling and analyzing news reports from local newspapers, focusing on conflict-related incidents affecting healthcare access. My role involved handling an extensive Excel database, categorizing news into different fields such as physical violence and infrastructural violence. This process helped identify patterns in how conflict disrupts healthcare infrastructure and impacts women’s health-seeking behaviors. Testimonial: "Working on this project deepened my understanding of the intersection between conflict, gender, and healthcare. Tracking and categorizing real-time conflict data provided critical insights into systemic challenges women face in accessing healthcare during crises. The experience strengthened my research skills and reinforced my commitment to advocating for gender-sensitive health policies in conflict zones. My mentors played a pivotal role in shaping my approach, pushing me to critically analyze and contextualize my findings in broader policy discussions."

Activities

Research will be the primary activity of CHS. Its primary goal is to co-produce knowledge on humanitarian health issues and actions in contexts of government and non-governmental responses in health, nutrition, food security and measures to address state fragility. CHS undertakes a trans-disciplinary approach towards studying and understanding the multisectoral and interconnected challenges of present complex emergencies, the results of which are presented at international conferences, webinars, as well as through peer-reviewed publications.
CHS’s research findings and insights are regularly communicated to diverse audiences through various channels, including media, policy briefs, and community outreach in a clear, concise, and non-academic form. These include blogs, op-eds, newspaper articles, documentaries and teaching materials.
CHS creates an application-based learning environment for students by hosting practitioners, NGO officials, activists, filmmakers and artists who can explain and interact with students. There will be field visits and internship opportunities which could culminate into capstone projects for students at various organizations.

Ongoing projects

Systematic Review: Mental-health impacts of conflict-induced displacement on children
This systematic review evaluates existing studies reporting on programmes and interventions working with children and their mental health impacts in conflict. We ask, “What are the gender and age disaggregated impacts of conflict and displacement on children's mental health outcomes?
How can interventions effectively protect and promote children mental health outcomes when they are forcibly displaced due to conflict?”
The study protocol has been registered: PROSPERO 2025 CRD42025642234
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=642234
Indigenous Peacemaking and Everyday Peace Building: The Role of Women
This project looks at the Gendered aspect of conflict management and the tangible way women foster peace in informal settling. We are specifically focusing on understanding how women use their identity framework to negotiate and traverse the masculine space of peacebuilding in India.

Outreach, Engagement and Training Opportunities

Student Internships: 2 internships every year for JSPH and JSIA students undertaking specializations in humanitarian-related subjects.
Seminars: 2 regular seminars semester on current and ongoing crises.
Interdisciplinary learning workshops with different stakeholders.
Fortnightly media columns and monthly longform pieces reputed international media organizations.

Jindal School of Public Health and Human Development