Months after leaving Ashoka University, ex-CEA Arvind Subramanian to join Brown University

Former chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian, who had resigned from Ashoka University in March, is now slated to join the Watson Institute at Brown University as a senior fellow. Subramanian will formally join the institute on July 1, 2021.

Ashutosh Varshney, director, Center for Contemporary South Asia, Brown University announced this information on Twitter. He wrote, "Delighted to announce that on July 1,  Arvind Subramanian will join @BrownUniversity as a senior fellow @WatsonInstitute, in partnership with @SouthAsiaBrown. We greatly greatly look forward to his teaching and intellectual affiliation with us. Welcome @arvindsubraman!".

Delighted to announce that on July 1, Arvind Subramanian will join @BrownUniversity as a senior fellow @WatsonInstitute, in partnership with @SouthAsiaBrown. We greatly greatly look forward to his teaching and intellectual affiliation with us. Welcome @arvindsubraman!

- Ashutosh Varshney (@ProfVarshney) June 3, 2021

Subramanian had made headlines in March 2021 when he announced his registration from Ashoka University, Haryana. Subramanian's exit from Ashoka University was preceded by political scientist Pratap Bhanu Mehta leaving the institute. Subramanian had stated that Mehta's exit from the university had "devastated him".

In a letter addressed to Ashoka University's Vice-Chancellor Malabika Sarkar, the former CEA had explained that Mehta's exit from the institute was the reason he was rendering his resignation. Subramanian wrote, "Ashoka can no longer provide a space for academic expression and freedom".

The former CEA has joined Ashoka University's faculty in July 2020 as a professor of economics. He also served as the founding director of the Ashoka Center for Economic Policy.

After Subramanian's exit, students of Ashoka University protested against the institutes' administration. They demanded that both Subramanian and Mehta should be reinstated to the university's faculty.

In April, Subramanian had announced that he was going to join Watson Institute faculty though he did not reveal when. He wrote, "With sadness & sense of opportunity unrealised, I leave Ashoka University. Look forward to new roles at Watson Institute, Brown University as Faculty as Senior Fellow & Center for Global Development as Distinguished Non-Resident Fellow. Hope to continue teaching, researching & engaging on economic development & India".

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