Dr Raj Mann

Raj is a Lecturer in Economics at the Manchester Metropolitan University.  Prior to joining MMU he was an Associate Lecturer at the Oxford Brookes Business School, Oxford Brookes University. He completed his PhD in July 2023 from the Oxford Brookes University. His thesis was examined by Professor Laura Rival (Oxford University) and Dr Dimitrios Asteriou (Oxford Brookes University). He was awarded a University Studentship to carry out his doctoral work. He was also awarded the prestigious Royal Economic Society Covid Academic Support Fund toward the completion of his study.

His thesis, “The effect of agricultural exports on cropping patterns/area under crops, virtual land exports and export-oriented displacement of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs): 1961-2013” focuses on the six most populous countries (two each) in each region of the developing world: China and India in Asia; Brazil and Mexico in Latin America; and Ethiopia and Nigeria in Africa.

Raj also has an MSc from the University of Nottingham, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration (India). 

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Given the current global rice crisis arising from rice export bans, his letter (almost resembling a short article) entitled ‘Punjab Already Bears the Brunt of a Looming Global Rice Crisis’, was published in the prestigious ‘Financial Times’ on 20^th November 2023.  The article occupies a prime spot, featured prominently in the middle of the FT View page. This publication spans across the global editions, encompassing the UK, European, USA, Middle East, and Asian editions.

Raj was recently interviewed by ‘Radio Student’ of Slovenia (one of Europe’s oldest and strongest non-commercial radio stations). The topic was Global rice crisis-India’s rice export ban and its impact. The interview was broadcasted on 20 January 2024.

PUBLICATIONS

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Singh, P. and Mann, R. S. (2020). ‘The Illusion and Reality of anti-Modi Wave in the Punjab 2019 General Election: A Note’, Journal of Sikh & Punjab Studies, 27 (1), 147-55.

Singh, P. and Mann, R. S. (2018). ‘Analysis of the Gurdaspur By-Election and Municipal Elections’, Journal of Sikh & Punjab Studies 25 (1), 157-64.

Mann, R. S. (2017). ‘Cropping pattern in Punjab 1966-67 to 2014-15’, Economic & Political Weekly, 52 (3),.30-33.

FORTHCOMING

‘Exploring the cropping pattern in Punjab: 1966-67 to 2014-15’ in P. Singh and M. Dhanda (eds), Punjab in Federal India, Oxford University Press (book chapter, accepted for publication).

‘‘Evaluation of Green Revolution policy in Punjab from an environmental perspective and exploring its current political economy: 1966-67 to 2020-21’ in P. Singh and M. Dhanda (eds), Handbook of Punjab Studies, Routledge (book chapter, invited recently).

JOURNAL ARTICLES/PAPERS IN PROGRESS

Singh, P. and Mann, R. S. ‘Waterguzzling rice crop cultivation-implications for the desertification of Punjab (India)’, Nature Sustainability, (currently withdrawn, revision in progress, Manuscript: NATSUSTAIN-19063665).

From my PhD research, I aim to come up with a few journal articles which I plan to submit to the prestigious journals viz Nature Sustainability, Nature Food, and Nature Climate Change for consideration.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

Mann, R. (2023). ‘Punjab already bears the brunt of the looming rice crisis’, published in the Financial Times 20 November 2023 (Available at: https://ft.pressreader.com/v99c/20231120/281831468469728).

Singh, P. and Mann, R. S. (2018). ‘Rajasthan gained what Punjab & Haryana lost’, published in the English Tribune 13 June 2018 (Available at: http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/rajasthan-gained-what-punjab-haryana-lost/604157.html) (translated into Punjabi and published in the Punjabi Tribune 19 June 2018).

Singh, P. and Mann, R. S. (2018). ‘Punjab is losing 8 MAF of water per year’, published in the English Tribune 12 June 2018 (Available at: http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/punjab-is-losing-8-maf-of-water-per-year/603829.html) (translated into Punjabi and published in the Punjabi Tribune 18 June 2018).

Singh, P. and Mann, R. S. (2017). ‘Punjab’s Water Deficit’, published in the English Tribune 10 August 2017 (Available at: http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/punjab-s-water-deficit/449762.html) ( translated into Punjabi and published in the Punjabi Tribune 14 August 2017).

Singh, P. and Singh, R. (2017). ‘Why the centre does not want Punjab to diversify’, published in the English Tribune 17 May 2017 (Available at: http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/why-the-centre-does-not-want-punjab-to-diversify/408037.html) (translated into Punjabi and published in the Punjabi Tribune 22 May 2017; translated into Hindi and published in the Dainik Tribune 27 May 2017).

Mann, R. (2015). ‘Pulsating problem: reduce demand-supply gap’, published in the English Tribune 23 October 2015 (Available at:  https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/pulsating-problem-reduce-demand-supply-gap/149300.html) (translated into Punjabi and published in the Punjabi Tribune 24 October 2017).

RADIO INTERVIEWS

Mann, R. (2024) Pre-election protectionism (Global rice crisis: India’s rice export ban and its impact). Radio Student, Slovenia, 20 January 2024 (Available at: https://radiostudent.si/politika/juzna-hemisfera/predvolilni-protekcionizem)

PRESENTATIONS

• “Analysis of Indian Punjab’s agricultural exports vis-à-vis other Indian states agricultural exports to -Pakistan (1987-88 to 2017-18)”, individual presentation at the Punjab: Past, Present and Future Conference held on 26 October 2019, organized by the Punjab Research Group (PRG) in collaboration with the South Asia Research Cluster (SARC), Wolfson College, University of Oxford. Awarded the Best Doctoral Presentation Award for the presentation.
• “Globally optimum cropping pattern, as a part of policy solution towards achieving Net-Zero emissions”, presented a poster based on my PhD research work at the international conference Achieving Net Zero, 9-11 September 2019, Wadham College, University of Oxford, organised by the Environmental Change Institute and the Oxford Martin School, sponsored by the University of Oxford and the Victoria University of Wellington.
• “Virtual land exports and their impact on cropping pattern in India: 1961-2013”, gave an individual presentation based on my PhD research as a part of a panel on ‘Environments, Energy and Agency II’ at the British Association of South Asian Studies (BASAS) Conference,3-5 April 2019, Durham University.
• “Exploring change in the net food status of South Asian countries: 1961-2013”, individual presentation as a part of a panel on ‘Ecologies II’ at the British Association of South Asian Studies (BASAS) Conference, 18-20 April 2018, University of Exeter.
• “Capitalist Agriculture and the Ecological Catastrophe of Groundwater Depletion in Punjab (India)”, individual presentation as a part of a panel on ‘Eco-socialist transitions as alternatives to capitalism’ at the Historical Materialism Conference, 2-3 November 2017, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.
• “How the net food status has changed in South Asian countries: 1961-2013”, individual presentation as part of a panel on ‘Struggles over eating: Food Security, Food Sovereignty and Beyond’ at the European Association for Southeast Asian Studies (EURO-SEAS) Conference, 16-18 August 2017, University of Oxford.
• “Exploring through the lens of federalism, nationalism, and development the socio-economic-ecological crisis of Punjab (India)”, individual presentation as a part of a special roundtable panel on ‘The Social and Ecological Worlds of Rural India’ at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) South Asia Institute Graduate Conference, 12-13 June 2017, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.
• “Exploring change in the net food status of South Asian countries: 1961-2013”, individual presentation as part of a panel on ‘South Asia socio-ecological apocalypse’ at the British Association for South Asian Studies (BASAS) conference,19-21 April 2017, University of Nottingham.

CONFERENCES ORGANISED

• Punjab Research Group Conference, 25 March 2023 at the Manchester Metropolitan University (Convenor)
• Punjab Research Group Conference, 29 October 2022 at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford (Convenor)
• Punjab Research Group Conference, 26 March 2022 at St Antony’s College, Oxford (Convenor)
• Punjab Research Group Conference, 26 October 2019 at Wolfson College, Oxford (Convenor) in collaboration with the South Asia Research Cluster (SARC), Wolfson College, University of Oxford.
• Punjab Research Group Conference, 30 March 2019 at St Antony’s College Oxford (Convenor).
• Punjab Research Group Conference, 27 October 2018 at St Antony’s College Oxford (Convenor).
• Punjab Research Group Conference, 31 March 2018 at Oxford Brookes University (Convenor).
• Punjab Research Group Conference, 28 October 2017 at Oxford Brookes University (Convenor).
• Punjab Research Group Conference, 25 March 2017 at Oxford Brookes University (as major organizer).
• Punjab Research Group Conference, 29 October 2016 at Wolfson College, Oxford (team member).

CONFERENCE SESSION’s CHAIRED

Changing Global Order: States and Nations, 28 October 2023 at Wolfson College, Oxford

WEB PROFILES

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Raj-Mann-3
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=xZRzov8AAAAJ&hl=en
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5716-9729
MMU profile: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/staff/profile/dr-raj-mann

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

English: Fluent
Punjabi: Fluent
Hindi: Fluent
German: basic proficiency

TEACHING INTERESTS

Business, Economics, Development Economics, Business and Economics for Sustainable Growth, Sustainability, Sustainable Food, Political Economy, Introductory Statistics, and International Relations.