OFFICIAL RESUME

Dr. P.K Michael Tharakan did his Ph.D in Mahatma Gandhi University, M.Phil in Jawaharlal Nehru University and M.A and B.A, both with First Class and First Rank, in Kerala University. He is the Vice Chancellor of Kannur University. Formerly he was Sri Ramakrishna Hegde Chair Professor in Decentralization and Governance at the Institute for Social and Economic Change [ISEC], Bangalore, Faculty Member of Centre for Development Studies [CDS], Trivandrum; Director of Kerala Institute of Local Administration [KILA], Thrissur, Research Associate at Centre for Educational Management and Policy, Administrative Staff College of India[ASCI], Hyderabad; Guest Faculty, School of Social Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University [MGU], Kottayam and Visiting Faculty, Centre for Socio-Economic and Environment Studies, Kochi. He has 35 Research  Papers published in Indian and Foreign Academic publications, 80 Articles of scholarly interest published in Academic and Popular Publications, 12 Project Reports and 2 Committee Reports, including Chapters in Collections of Essays by prestigious Publishers like Palgrave, London, Macmillan, London, St. Martin’s Press, London, Croom Helm, New York, Oxford University Press, Delhi and Sage, Delhi. He has offered Consultancy to over 15 Organisations/ Institutions, including World Employment Programme of International Labour Organisation [ILO], Geneva, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific [UN-ESCAP], Bangkok, Industrial Development Bank of India [IDBI], Mumbai, and Ministry of Human Resource Development [MOHRD], Government of India. He has served as Member of Advisory Bodies including Board of Studies, Academic Councils, Senate, Expert Committees, Task Force and Steering Committees of various Organisations/Institutions like, University of Madras, Manomaniam Sundanar University, Thirunelveli, M.G University, Kerala University, Kannur University, Indian National Science Academy, Madras Institute of Development Studies [MIDS], Kerala Council of Historical Research [KCHR] and Kerala State Planning Board. A Recipient of National Merit Scholarship and P.Gopala Menon Prize in History, University of Kerala, he was awarded Special Chair in Development Studies, Institute of Management Studies and Policy, University of Antwerp [RUCA], Belgium, Elected by the Governing Body of the St. Anthony’s College, Oxford University, U.K as Honorary Associate Member for the Trinity Term in 1996, and was Chair Person and Convenor of a Session at the European Conference on Modern South Asian Studies in Amsterdam. His areas of specialization are Social and Economic History and Development Studies.
He is married to Sophie Jose-Tharakan, formerly Head of the Department of English, St. Xavier’s College, Trivandrum and has a daughter and two sons.