Summary
Nara Sritharan is a Research Scientist at AidData and a Faculty Affiliate in the Department of Economics at William & Mary. She is an economist whose research focuses on international development, political economy, migration, and development finance, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
Her research examines how foreign aid, development finance, migration, and remittance flows shape economic and political outcomes. A major strand of her work focuses on emerging and non-traditional development partners, including the People’s Republic of China and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the implications of their overseas financing for recipient countries. She also studies remittances and migration in fragile economies; the effects of geopolitical and security policy on development assistance; and the local consequences of large-scale infrastructure and development interventions.
Nara has conducted fieldwork in Nepal, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and the Philippines and works extensively with interdisciplinary and international research teams. Her research uses mixed methods, including causal inference, qualitative interviews, field research, and participatory approaches, with an emphasis on producing policy-relevant evidence.
Education
Ph.D., Economics, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
M.A., Economics, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
B.Sc., Economics, University of Copenhagen
Background
Prior to joining William & Mary, Nara completed her Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where her research focused on the political economy of peace, conflict, and post-conflict development.
She is a Co-Founder of Diversifying and Decolonising Economics (D-Econ), and maintains affiliations with Security in Context and Human Security Lab. She also collaborates closely with students and junior researchers across her academic and policy work.
Featured Publications
Sritharan, Narayani, Asad Sami, and Ammar A. Malik. (2023). “Continuity and Change in Saudi Arabia’s Development and Humanitarian Aid.” Third World Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2023.2288852
Sritharan, Narayani, Istanbool Abbad, Aymen Ghaleb, Oshin Pandey, Amna Mahmood, Bryan Burgess, and Hind Ali. (2026). From Cash to Capital: Leveraging Remittances for Yemen’s Economic Future. International Growth Centre at the London School of Economics & AidData at William & Mary.