Ankit Vyas

Profile

I am an activist researcher focusing on education policy implementation in India. I have over 14 years of experience working with organisations UNICEF, Oxfam, and STIR Education. My work includes research and advocacy for improving public education, healthcare access, and reducing inequality. At Oxfam India, I authored a report on the impact of COVID-19 on educational access in India, which was cited widely by leading organisations and publications, including UNICEF and the World Economic Forum. I have extensive experience of working closely with different state governments on improving the quality of public education. At UNICEF, I planned, designed and supported the scale-up of a remedial teaching program with the Department of Education (Maharashtra), which positively impacted over 100,000 students. I hold an MPhil in Education and International Development from the University of Cambridge, where I studied on a Chevening Scholarship.  

Research interests

My research is interested in understanding the role of bureaucratic norms in driving everyday practices of street-level education bureaucrats in India, and their implications for the learning crisis in India’s schools. In particular, I am keen to explore key norms that drive bureaucratic behaviour, including how they prioritise tasks. Through this research, I seek to expand the theoretical understanding and framing of implementation issues beyond the narrow confines of low teacher capacity and accountability and provide a greater understanding of the everyday practices of street level bureaucrats, and their linkages with challenges of education policy implementation.  

Qualifications

• MA Social Research (Interdisciplinary), University of Leeds
• MPhil Education, Globalisation, and International Development, University of Cambridge
• MA Sociology, Indira Gandhi National Open University, India
• Bachelor of Business Administration, NMIMS University, India