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Uma Kambhampati

Professor Uma Kambhampati
  • Professor of Economics

Areas of interest

Since joining Reading, I have taught on a range of modules including Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Business Economics and a range of Development modules. My research ranges across issues relating to childhood inequalities, particularly in relation to child work and schooling participation, inequalities between girls and boys as well as inequalities across social and religious groups.

I have also worked on women's empowerment and well-being including women's labour market participation, life satisfaction as well as nutritional adequacy. A third strand of my research relates to the issue of well-being and life satisfaction in the UK, including analysis of the extent to which conditions during childhood and youth influence the life satisfaction of adults.

My interests also lie with Gender and Development, Development and Inequalities and Intra-household decision making.

Postgraduate supervision

I supervise PhD students on a range of topics from Graduate returns to education in the UK to the impact of education and employment on female empowerment in Bangladesh. I would be delighted to supervise doctoral students on any of my research interests above and am excited to receive interesting proposals in a range of areas within Development Economics.

Background

I arrived in the UK from India in 1981 and joined school in North London. I graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1992 with a BA, MPhil and PhD in Economics. My first lectureship was at the University of East Anglia and I joined Reading in 1998.

My research has largely related to inequalities, especially by gender. In recent years, I have worked on women’s empowerment and well-being including women’s labour market participation and life satisfaction. Over the last 2 decades, I have also worked on issues relating to childhood inequalities, particularly in relation to child work and schooling participation, inequalities between girls and boys as well as inequalities across social and religious groups. I have published extensively in all these areas.

Details of my publications can be found at https://www.reading.ac.uk/hedgehogs/about/staff/u-s-kambhampati.aspx

Academic qualifications

  • PhD Economics, 1992, University of Cambridge, Faculty of Economics and Politics
  • MPhil. Economics, 1988, University of Cambridge, Queens' College
  • BA Economics Tripos, 1987, University of Cambridge, Queens' College
  • Child labour and schooling, especially in India
  • Impact of institutions on development
  • Individual well-being and life satisfaction
  • Productivity and competitiveness of manufacturing firms

Publications