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Nara Sritharan
Senior Research Analyst, AidData William & Mary
Co-Founder, Diversifying and Decolonising Economics (D-Econ)
She/her
I am a Senior Research Analyst at AidData - a research lab at William & Mary and a Co-Founder of Diversifying and Decolonising Economics (D-Econ). My research spans development economics, political economy, and migration studies, with a regional focus on South Asia and the Middle East.
My work is organized around three core research streams:
Development Finance and Foreign Aid: I examine how non-traditional donors, particularly the People’s Republic of China and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, deploy development finance in the Global South, and the implications for governance, public opinion, and geopolitical alignment.
Migration and Remittances: I study the role of remittances in fragile and conflict-affected economies, the vulnerabilities of migrant workers (especially in South Asia and the Gulf), and the ripple effects of global transitions, such as decarbonization, on labor-exporting countries. I am part of AidData’s Migration Research Team, where my work focuses on Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders in the United States and the role of remittances in sustaining economies. Together with colleagues, I generate policy-relevant evidence to inform more equitable migration systems and strengthen the resilience of migrant-sending communities.
Identity, Inclusion, and Political Economy: I explore how development interventions affect marginalized communities, with a focus on Indigenous rights, displacement, and social cohesion. This includes transdisciplinary research on water governance, infrastructure, and environmental justice.
I am also part of the Nepal Water Initiative, an interdisciplinary research collaboration focused on water resource management, Indigenous rights, and environmental sustainability in Nepal.
Across these areas, I use mixed methods, including causal inference, qualitative interviews, and participatory approaches, and collaborate closely with students, policymakers, and local partners.
Publications
*indicates work with students.
Peer-reviewed
Mary C Fabrizio, Vaskar Nepal, Troy D Tuckey, Rahul Ranjan, Hemanta Dhakal, David R Edds, David P Gillette, Patton Burchett, Narayani Sritharan, Sapana Lohani, Kunwar K Singh, Ammar Malik, Krishna Paudel (2025). "Hurdles and opportunities for conservation of native fish biodiversity in Nepal."Fisheries.https://doi.org/10.1093/fshmag/vuaf067
Horigoshi, Ana and Narayani Sritharan (2025). "Uncovering African Leaders' Perceptions on China's Belt and Road Initiative. in R. Mireille Manga Edimo, Julien Rajaoson (Eds.), China's Belt and Road Initiative in Africa: Aid Policies and Economic Development (1st ed., pp. 27-50). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80400-7
Sritharan, Narayani and Kritika Jothishankar* (2024). "Money Talks: How Remittances Contribute to Wealth Creation in Post-conflict Communities." Journal of International Development. https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3974
Sritharan, Narayani. (2024). "Unveiling Margins: Women, Caste, Class, and Post-War Development in Sri Lanka's North and East." In Kanchana N. Ruwanpura, Amjad Mohamed Saleem (Eds.), Routledge Handbook on Contemporary Sri Lanka (1st ed., pp. 194-206). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003300991
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. (2023). "A Comparative Study of Traditional Donors and Non-traditional Donors in Sri Lanka." Orbis 67.4 : 579-604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orbis.2023.08.007
Policy analysis
Custer, S., Burgess, B., Kim, H.K., Krisnadi, M.F., Marshall, K., Mathew, D., Patrick, F., Saputra, A.D., Solis, J.A., and N. Sritharan. (2025). Balancing Risk and Reward: Who benefits from China’s investments in Indonesia?. Williamsburg, VA: AidData at William & Mary. - Link
Sritharan, Narayani and Solis, Jonathan A., "Winning Hearts, Changing Minds: A Data-Driven Approach to Measure China's Influence in Latin America" (2025). Research Publications. 74. - Link
Custer, S., Burgess, B., and N. Sritharan. (2025). Into the Breach: Will China Step Up as the U.S. Retreats on Global Development? Policy Brief. Williamsburg, VA: AidData at William & Mary. - Link
Burgess, B., Henares, T. J. G., Kim, E. Y., Mathew., D., Solis, J. A., and N. Sritharan. (2024). "Investing in Narratives: How Beijing promotes its development projects in the Philippines". Williamsburg, VA: AidData at William & Mary. -Link
Samantha Custer, Bryan Burgess, Jonathan A. Solis, Narayani Sritharan, and Divya Mathew. "Beijing’s Big Bet on the Philippines: Decoding two decades of China’s financing for development." AidData. - Link
Carpenter, Charli, Jaeye Baek, Catie Fowler, Isha Mahajan, Jenna Norosky, Nara Sritharan, Imtashal Tariq, Caroline Williams. "Rethinking America's Women, Peace & Security Agenda in Afghanistan". Human Security Lab Briefing Note #2. 2022. - Link
Christensen, Lars, Narayani Sritharan. "EM Bond Snapshot". Danske Bank Market Research. Sep 2013 - Link
Christensen, Lars, Narayani Sritharan. "EMEA Weekly". Danske Bank Market Research. Sep 2013 - Link
Forthcoming and under review
Sritharan, Narayani, and Yining Li*. "Countering the Impact of Conflict: An Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Remittances on Investment and Consumption for Internally Displaced Households"
Jonathan A. Solis, Narayani Sritharan, and Sarah Wozniak*. "Shaping Perceptions: Chinese Aid, Media Freedom, and Public Attitudes Toward China in Developing Nations".
Devika Dutt, Narayani Sritharan, and Alden Young. "Shifting Sands: A Review of Decarbonization's Ripple Effects from the GCC to Migrant Workers' Homeland".
Adea Gafuri, Jonathan A. Solis, and Narayani Sritharan. "Building Balkan Bridges: Navigating China’s Influence and Public Perception"
Sritharan, Narayani, and Magnus Lundgren. "The Impact of terrorist designations on Aid Allocation: Exploiting a Natural Experiment in Yemen"
Work in Progress
Sritharan, Narayani. "How Public Opinions about the Central Government can Affect Reconciliation Processes in Postwar Countries – Evidence from Sri Lanka."
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