Kanica Rakhra is an assistant professor at Kautilya School of Public Policy where she teaches international relations and global affairs in Asia.

Previously, she worked with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) between 2016-2017, where she was with the Policy Planning and Research Division, and then the Disarmament and International Security Affairs (D&ISA) Division between 2017-2021. Additionally, she was the founding lead coordinator of the Annual Disarmament and International Security Affairs Fellowship Programme that was initiated in 2019. During her tenure in D&ISA division, she also worked on counter-terrorism, maritime security, nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, international security and a range of multilateral issues.

In 2022, Kanica joined the India G20 Secretariat, where she was engaged in research for the Development Working Group. Executing several position papers related to India’s G20 Presidency, she assisted the G20 Secretariat in the transition period from the Indonesian Presidency to the Indian Presidency, including negotiations for various G20 declarations. She participated in G20 meetings, including the First Sherpa Meeting in Udaipur. She also participated in the Think20 and Civil20 Summits during Indonesia’s Presidency and received the Civil20 flag on behalf of the India G20 Secretariat.

Kanica holds a PhD degree from the Center for International Politics, Organization, and Disarmament in Jawaharlal Nehru University. She regularly participates in a number of Track 1.5 and Track 2 dialogues, and publishes her work in journals and books. She was previously a fellow at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies, the Swedish South Asian Studies Network, and the Harvard-led Arms Control Negotiation Academy.

Her research as an AsiaGlobal Fellow will build on her experience from G20 and delve into the evolving role of the Global South and how leadership from the region is developing vis-a-vis the Global North.