Priya Mohanty brings experience at the intersection of international cooperation, urban development, and academia. She holds an M.Sc. in Development Studies (SOAS) and a B.A. in International Affairs (University of St. Gallen). As a Mercator Fellow, she collaborated with organizations such as YLabs, UN-Habitat, the Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI), and University College London (UCL) to co-create more resilient, participatory, and decolonial urban spaces. Prior to that, she worked as a Program Manager at ETH for Development, where she oversaw programs that fostered interdisciplinary research collaborations with institutions in the Global Majority.

Priya is particularly interested in critical approaches to knowledge production that examine and challenge power imbalances while centering perspectives that are often excluded. As Community Manager, she strengthens and expands our network – connecting practice-oriented organizations, researchers, and citizens.

Photo: © Citizen Science Zurich; Ursina Roffler