Niti's research interests lie in the intersection between design methods, knowledge systems particularly local, traditional and indigenous knowledges, and participatory social design-driven transformation. She is currently exploring the relationship between post-colonial indigenous research paradigms (Chilisa 2019) and integrated product development strategies for holistic knowledge production that implements cognitive justice (Visvanathan 1997; 2021) for research at the Cultural Interface (Nakata 1997, 2007; Durie 2005). Over 30 years of professional creative practice in design and innovation. This includes 15 years of leading interdisciplinary teams for fieldwork using design anthropology methodologies (rapid ethnography, indepth interviews, day in the life, observations and shadowing in markets, farms, villages, borderlands and more). Fieldwork personally completed in South Africa, The Philippines, India, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and with local assistance in Benin and Malawi. Networks span the African continent. Public recognition of original knowledge production includes Invitation to mainstage of TED Global 2017 in Arusha Tanzania TEDTalk video https://www.ted.com/talks/niti_bhan_the_hidden_opportunities_of_the_informal_economy

I have a bachelor’s degree in English translation and a master’s degree in communication science and journalism and Business Administration both from the University in Iran. After studying in academia, I decided to move to international business projects and consulting. For nearly 10 years, I worked for a Simense project as a commercial expert and for 2 years as a business counsultant in Finland. Then, I returned to academia to pursue a research career. Currently, I am a doctoral researcher in social anthropology at Tampere University. My working and research interest relates to crisis management, social anthropology, ethnography, social media, media management, and online ethnography.

Number of publications 06 Name of publications Open-access link Publication category Water, Water Pollution and Cultural Desolation https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329416339_Water_Water_Pollution_and_Cultural_Desolation A1 Environmental Degradation: Challenge to Food Security, local context global perspective, A case study of a village in Bangladesh https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329416293_Environmental_Degradation_Challenge_to_Food_Security_local_context_global_perspective_A_case_study_of_a_village_in_Bangladesh A1 Empowering youth lasting change; SEED SCALE a process to youth engagement and sustainable development https://techniumscience.com/index.php/socialsciences/article/view/1877 A1 Industrialization Water Pollution and Social Change: A Case of Basin Based village in Bangladesh https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329416449_INDUSTRIALIZATION_WATER_POLLUTION_AND_SOCIAL_CHANGE_A_CASE_OF_BASIN_BASED_VILLAGE_IN_BANGLADESH A1 Community Disability, And Response to Disaster Mitigation in Bangladesh. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%E2%80%A2+Mallick+%26+Salma+ A1 River, Culture and Livelihood: Water pollution and social change around river Banghsi, Bangladesh D

A trained anthropologist at the Anthropology Research Group - Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, along with a background in Sociology. I do extensive research on co-management practices, regimes for forestry and wildlife conservation, protected area management, governance and development, as well as land use and sustainability policy.

Siiri Sandberg is a Ph.D. student in the Doctoral Programme in Social Sciences (SOC) at the University of Helsinki. Siiri holds master’s degrees in Social and Cultural Anthropology and Urban Studies and Planning. The Ph.D. research draws on political ecology to study youth participation in forest conservation in Taita Hills, Kenya.