Kerala scholars chosen to lead India arm of ERC Research

Two assistant professors, one each from Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) and Kannur University, will lead the India component of a major European Research Council (ERC) research project.

Mathew A. Varghese of the School of International Relations and Politics, MGU, and Sunaina K. of the School of Behavioural Sciences, Kannur University, have been appointed chief researchers and coordinators in India for the project titled ‘CRIMLIFE – Life-course trajectories to crime globally’. The international collaborative study, funded by the ERC with ₹1 crore budget, will be led by Professor Sveinung Sandberg of the University of Oslo from 2026 to 2030.

In addition to India, the project brings together research partners from Norway, the Czech Republic, Türkiye, Nigeria, and Colombia. It aims to examine life-course trajectories linked to crime across diverse social and cultural contexts, combining comparative criminological research with life-history narratives.