Vash is a doctoral student in the UCSB Political Science department. His primary research interests lie in the area of Political Economy. He studies two distinct sets of political economy questions – the role of the informal economy in domestic politics, and the politics of sovereign debt. The phenomenon of a large and politically powerful informal economic sector isn’t just a feature peculiar to India, it is the standard in most developing nations throughout Africa and South Asia. Thus, studying informal economy and its role in politics becomes imperative to understanding developing nations. His second strand of research – politics of sovereign debt – focuses on how governments utilize the issuance and denominations of sovereign debt to integrate or insulate themselves from the global economy, what political choices are made in this practice, and what the outcomes of these choices are. Prior to joining UCSB, Vash obtained his MA in International Studies from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, and a BA (Honors) in International Studies from the University of South Florida.

Vash will be working with Professor Alison Brysk in the area of human rights and governance.

Fellowship term: Summer 2019