CV

Summary of Key Skills & Experiences

I am a technologist, ex-humanitarian aid worker and researcher currently writing my PhD thesis (part-time) on NGO Accountability & Participation at the Münster School of Business & Economics and I am currently based in Münster, Germany.

Area of Interests/Skill-sets: Crisis Information Management, Agile Development Methodologies, Design Thinking, Cross Cultural Communication, Human-Centered Design, Accountability, Qualitative Research Method, Computer Networking Specialist, Disaster Response, NGO Management, ICT4D, Humanitarian Effectiveness, Logistics & Information Systems, Crowdsourcing, Crisis Mapping, GIS, Internationalisation & Integration Strategy, Team Builder, Open Source Technologies, Ethics of Technology, Human Dignity.

Link to: Projects – Publications – Talks & Workshops

I operate in between technology and people and how we are constantly shaping our world view. I function well in creative, diverse and cross-cultural teams in bringing together different perspectives and bridging boundaries. I build my knowledge from the experiences and people I meet. I am useful in multi-disciplinary teams contributing to strategies and innovative ideas to find solutions. Being grounded in my rural spirit and upbringing, I am able to effectively communicate and exchange ideas from inception to implementation.

Employment

  • Sep 2020 – Dec 2020 – Department of Philosophy, University of Twente, Netherlands
    Researcher on Ethics of GIS Data in response to COVID-19 in India
  • Feb 2014 – Sep 2016 – ERCIS, University of Muenster, Germany.
    Primary Role: Early Stage Researcher, Marie Curie Actions Fellow (full-time)
    Project: NITIM ITN (EU/FP7) Project # 317382: Networks, Information Technology &
    Innovation Management: Topic Area: Humanitarian effectiveness & technology, Humanitarian Logistics.
    Projects: GDACSMobile, NITIM-ITN, NITIM Graduate School Contributions
  • Jan 2012 – June 2012 – Technology Start-up (Telephony/IVR), New Delhi, India.
    Primary Role: Operations Manager/CTO – Focus – Rural Markets, Multi-Lingual Markets
    Responsibilities: Product Design, Business Plans, Product Team Lead, Clients.
  • Feb 2010-Dec 2011 – Grameen Development Services, Lucknow, India. 
    Primary Role: Manager ICT Operations & Asst Program Manager (full-time)
    Responsibilities: Application of ICTs in Livelihoods, Disaster Management, Women Empowerment programs. Part of Humanitarian Response team and Core Research Committee. Project Management of Goat Based Livelihood Project with 4 other implementing NGO partners. Training on ICTs or disaster response communication in floods. Part of Climate Change study for IRRI.org.

Education

  • 2014-Present – (External) PhD/Doctoral Candidate.
    Topic area: Accountability in NGOs, International Aid, Ethical Community Engagement, Dignity of Disaster Affected Communities.
    University of Münster, Germany. Official Page: http://erc.is/p/kumar
  • 2012-2014 – [incomplete] – Masters in Philosophy of Science, Technology and Society, University of Twente, the Netherlands. [35 ECTS (Ethics, Philosophy & Politics of Technology, STS)]
  • 2013 – Post Graduate Diploma in International Business
  • 2011 – M. Sc. in Information Technology.
  • 2009 – Bachelor of Engineering in Computing

Scientific Community Participation

Training and Certifications Received

Volunteer & Community Service

  • UniTe – University of Twente – Sep 2013-2014
    President – UniTe acts as an advisory council and we focus on UT-policy concerning internationalization and integration with the Student Union and International Office at UT.
    Awarded: Henk Zijm Award 2013-2014
  • PowerCuts.IN – May 2011  – Present
    Founder – Citizen Media project focusing on data on power cuts in India.
    Awarded: mBillionth 2012 award for m-News & m-Journalism.
  • The Stand By Task Force – Sep 2012 – Feb 2014
    Core Technical Team – A global group of Digital Volunteers assisting various agencies in responding to humanitarian response efforts in situation of crisis.
  • TEDxShekhavati 2011 – Volunteer – Organising Team [2011]
  • Inter-Agency Group – Uttar Pradesh, India [2010-2011]
  • Sahana Software Foundation – May 2008 – Dec 2010
    Part of the online Sahana Relief Team 2010 (Research and Experimentation for Local and International Emergency and First Responders) 10-1 disaster exercise organized by the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS.edu) USA, at Camp Roberts in California. Project Committer/Programmer & Core Team Member to Sahana & SahanaPy, Indian Localisation Lead, General Community Outreach. Coordinated with the IBM India teams on incidents of disaster relief where Sahana was chosen by IBM to be used for the local agencies. Bihar Floods 2008 & Andhra Pradesh Floods 2009

Honours, Grants & Fellowships

2020

2016

2014

  • Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow (MCSA) – Doctoral Fellowship as per EU FP7 Framework under the NITIM Multi-Partner ITN project period 02/2014-09/2016
  • Henk Zijm Award 2013-2014 awarded every year to a student or association that makes a significant contribution to the internationalization strategy of the University of Twente, the Netherlands http://www.utnieuws.nl/english/60764/Lets_GO_Study_abroad_fair

2012

2010

  • ICTD 2010 London Conference – Scholar – http://www.ictd2010.org/?page_id=120 – 13-16 December 2010, Royal Holloway, University of London.
  • DigitalNatives.in Asia – Selected participant from Asia for Talking Back workshop held at the Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan (August 2010). Guest Editor: Newsletter. Project by CIS India and HIVOS Netherlands.

2009

  • Google Summer of Code 2009 – $4500 Grant – Worked on Logistics Warehouse module for the SahanaPy Project (Sahana Software Foundation). Technology Used: Python, JavaScript, Web2Py, HTML
  • Sarai FLOSS Research Fellow (2008-09)

2008

  • Google Summer of Code 2008 – $4500 Grant – Worked on Messaging module for the Sahana Project. Technology Used: PHP, Bash, JavaScript, HTML, GSM Modem, GIS.
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