Background

Diotima Chattoraj, a PhD (with distinction magna-cum-laude) from the Department of International Development Studies (IEE), Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany, is a social scientist with over 7 years of research experience in the field of migration and development studies. She received funding from DAAD, Stipendien der Wilhelm und Günter Esser Stiftung and IEE to pursue her PhD research. At Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), she was involved in several Research Projects, namely, Skill-Mobility in Asia, Rohingyas, Gender and different kinds of Migration and Security issues. These projects are funded by the University of Brunei. Presently at UBD, she is involved in the Research Project "Gender Analysis of Transnational Migration: Local-global interactions".

Her areas of research interests include Asia, Sociology of migration, theories of migration, refugee, trafficking, globalization, Climate change, Development, Gender Studies, Security issues, international relations, and boundary-making. She has published a number of articles (which are Scopus Indexed) and book reviews in international refereed journals respectively. In addition, her book titled, ‘Diasporic Search for 'Home': Displaced Sri Lankan Tamils’, based on her PhD thesis, is also in Press with Springer (Singapore). Besides, she has also been working as a peer reviewer for a number of international refereed journals like South Asia Research, Comparative Migration Studies and few more. She has also been external Examiners for a couple of Master’s Thesis. She has presented her works in international conferences as invited speakers.

Teaching

Areas of Interest

• Sociology of migration, theories of migration and development, theories of home and belonging, refugee studies, skilled and unskilled labor migrations in Asia, Remittance flow in Asia.
• Humanitarian work, Politics South and Southeast Asia, women empowerment, NGOs, poverty, in-ternational and rural development, international relations.

Publications

Books

Chattoraj, D., “Displacement among Sri Lankan Tamil Migrants: The Diasporic Search for Home in the Aftermath of War”. (in Press with Springer Nature: Singapore).

Book Chapters

Ullah, A. & Chattoraj, D., “Rohingya Children in Bangladesh: Questioning the past and Imagining the future”. (accepted for Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied (ed.) Routledge Handbook of Islam in Southeast Asia).

Journal Articles

Ullah AKMA, Hossain M. A., & Chattoraj, D. (2020). Covid-19 and Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. Intellectual Discourse, 28(2), 792–806. (PDF Version)

Chattoraj, D. & Gerharz E. (2019). Strangers at home: narratives of northern Muslim returnees in post-war Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences, 42(02), 113-126.

Ullah, A.K.M. Ahsan, Siti Mazidah Haji Mohamad, Noor Hasharina Pg Hj Hasan & Chattoraj, D. “Migration and Security: An Illusionary correlation?” (accepted by India Quarterly).

Ullah, A.K.M. Ahsan, Siti Mazidah Mohamad, Noor Hasharina Hassan, & Chattoraj, D. (2019). Global skill deficiency: Perspectives of skill mobility in Southeast Asian countries. Asian Education and Development Studies. doi.org/10.1108/AEDS-12-2018-0185. (On-line Link). (PDF Version).

Chattoraj, D., “Emergence of a new Identity through Migration: A comparative case study of Sri Lankan Tamil women in Sri Lanka and Singapore”. (accepted by Nusantara: International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences).

Chattoraj, D., & Gerharz, E. (2019). Difficult return: Muslims’ ambivalent attachments to Jaffna in post-conflict Sri Lanka. Institute of Asian Studies Working Paper No. 46. (PDF Version).

Chattoraj, D. (2019). Narratives of Sri Lankan displaced Tamils living in welfare centers in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Journal of Maritime Studies and National Integration, 2(2), 67–4. (PDF Version).

Ullah, A.K.M. Ahsan, & Chattoraj, D. (2018). Roots of discrimination against Rohingya minorities: Society, Ethnicity and International Relations. Intellectual Discourse, 26(2), 541–565. (PDF Version).

Chattoraj, D. (2018). Experiences of Sri Lankan Tamils displaced to Colombo: Three narratives. eTropic, 17(1), 137–148.

Conference Papers

Global Skill Deficiency: Perspectives of skill mobility in Southeast Asian countries: Presented as an Invited Keynote Speaker at the 2nd International conference on Southeast Asian Maritime World in the Age of Motion (ICONSEAMO): Exploring the Root of Multicultural Society in Southeast Asia organized by the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Diponegoro, Indonesia on 29th November 2018.

Asia Borders and Mobility: A case study of Rohingya Refugees: Presented as an Invited speaker at the 1st Annual International Seminar on Maritime conflict and National Integration in the Indo-Pacific Region organized by the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Diponegoro, Indonesia on 1st November 2018.

Unhoming vs Durable solution: the situation of the displaced Sri Lankan Tamils: Presented at the 3rd PhD conference at the International Institute of Social Sciences (ISS) in The Hague (September 2014) funded by IEE, RUB.

Home and Belonging: Situation of Sri Lankan displaced Tamils in Sri Lanka and S.India: Presented at CARFMS'14: Coherence and Incoherence in Migration Management and Integration: Policies, Practices and Perspectives in Montreal, Canada from 7-9th May 2014, funded by RUB Research School.

Sri Lankan Tamil IDPs and their different notions of Home: Presented at RLC/ZEF International Fall Academy on “The Economies of the Commons: Reshaping Economic Education” on September 19-23, 2012, in Bonn, Germany funded by DAAD.

Thesis

Chattoraj, D. (2017). “Ambivalent Attachments: Shifting Notions of Home among Displaced Sri Lankan Tamils”, PhD dissertation. (On-line Link).

Book Reviews

Chattoraj, D. (2019). ‘Book Review: Indonesia: Twenty Years of Democracy by Jamie Davidson,’ Studies of Transition States and Societies, 11 (1) (81-83pp). Available at: http://publications.tlu.ee/index.php/stss/article/view/777/629

Chattoraj, D. (2019). ‘Book Review: Human Security and Migration in Europe's Southern Borders by Susana Ferreira,’ Migration Letters, 16 (2) (345-346pp).

Chattoraj, D. (2019). ‘Book Review: Bangladeshi Migration to Singapore: A Process-oriented Approach by Md Mizanur Rahman’ Sojourn, 34(2).

Chattoraj, D. (2018). ‘Book Review: Borders and Mobility in South Asia and Beyond by Reece Jones and Md. Azmeary Ferdoush (Eds.)’. Journal of Contemporary Asia. DOI: 10.1080/00472336.2018.1506044.

Chattoraj, D. (2018). ‘Book Review: Ananda Bhattacharyya, Remembering Komagata Maru. Official Reports and Contemporary Accounts’. South Asia Research, 38(3), (96-98pp).

Chattoraj, D. (2017). ‘Book Review: Yogeswary Vijayapalan,Endless Inequality: The Rights of Plantation Tamils in Sri Lanka.’ South Asia Research, 37(1) (111–113pp).

Chattoraj, D. (2015). ‘Book Review: Sharika Thiranagama, In My Mother’s House: Civil War in Sri Lanka’. South Asia Research, 35(1), (136-138pp).

Popular forum

Chattoraj, D. (2018), “Redefining home: Experiences of the Jaffna Displaced”, Groundviews published on April 28, 2018. (On-line Link).

Conferences

• The 2nd International conference on Southeast Asian Maritime World in the Age of Motion (ICONSEAMO): Exploring the Root of Multicultural Society in Southeast Asia. The Faculty of Humanities at the University of Diponegoro, Indonesia on 29th November 2018.
• The 1st Annual International Seminar on Maritime conflict and National Integration in the Indo-Pacific Region. The Faculty of Humanities at the University of Diponegoro, Indonesia on 1st November 2018.
• The 3rd PhD conference at the International Institute of Social Sciences (ISS). The Hague (September 2014) funded by IEE, RUB.
• CARFMS'14: Coherence and Incoherence in Migration Management and Integration: Policies, Practices and Perspectives. Montreal, Canada from 7-9th May 2014, funded by RUB Research School.
• RLC/ZEF International Fall Academy on “The Economies of the Commons: Reshaping Economic Education”. September 19-23, 2012, in Bonn, Germany funded by DAAD.

Workshops

• Participated in Radio discussions on topics related to youth in politics in Kolkata in 2006.
• Interacted with the honorary Chinese consulate general of Kolkata, Mr. Mao Siwei on “Present Indo-China relationship” in 2009.
• Participated in “Centrum für internationale Migration und Entwicklung” (CIM), a joint operation of GIZ and the German Federal Employment Agency, workshop for Indian returning experts from November 9-11, 2012, in Heidelberg, Germany funded by CIM.
• Selected to attend MOAA’s workforce development program held in Washington D.C. in April-May 2017.
• Participated in the “Teaching Learning Process to Enhance Students Learning Opportunities” organized by Teaching and Learning Centre in UBD on the 13th of February 2019.

Scholastic Honors

• DAAD Fellow: October-December 2010, for the program, “A New Passage to India”, as a study visit in Bielefeld University, Germany.
• DAAD Fellow: January-March 2012, for the program, “A New Passage to India”, as a visiting researcher in Bielefeld University, Germany.
• Invited Speaker at the 1st Annual International Seminar on Maritime conflict and National Integration in the Indo-Pacific Region organized by the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Diponegoro, Indonesia on 1st November 2018.
• Invited Keynote Speaker at the 2nd International conference on Southeast Asian Maritime World in the Age of Motion (ICONSEAMO): Exploring the Root of Multicultural Society in Southeast Asia organized by the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Diponegoro, Indonesia on 29th November 2018.
• Right Livelihood Junior Scientist: September 2012 in Bonn, Germany, funded by DAAD.