Dr. Sunil Kumar

Biography

Sunil Kumar is a lecturer in Social Policy Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). His research primarily focuses on rural-urban migration in the Global South, especially in South Asia, particularly India. He explores various dimensions of urban life, including housing, landlord-tenant dynamics, labor markets and livelihoods, and the effects of forced evictions and resettlement on livelihood outcomes. Sunil has conducted extensive research in countries such as Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania and has been involved in significant research projects funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Among his notable works is the research project centered on the Urbanisation-Construction-Migration Nexus in five major South Asian cities. Sunil has published articles in respected journals like the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Urban Studies, and Cities. Additionally, he holds a keen interest in pedagogy and mentoring students, having served as Dean of Graduate Studies from 2011 to 2017. Sunil also co-designed the Race Matters initiative to foster discussions about race and its implications in social policy education. He supervises doctoral research in fields related to urbanization, internal migration, informal labor markets, and housing tenure.

Research Interests