Nirmala Rao

Nirmala Rao (born 1959, Hyderabad, India) is a British academic and the current vice chancellor^[1] of Krea University. She also served as vice chancellor of the Asian University for Women, Chittagong, Bangladesh from 1 February 2017^[2] to January 2022.^[3] and as Pro-Director of the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London from 2008 to 2016.^[2]

Nirmala Rao OBE FAcSS
Professor Nirmala Rao
Born	1959 (age 65–66) Hyderabad, India
Occupation	academic
Spouse	Dr Guduru Gopal Rao
Awards	OBE, FAcSS
Academic background
Alma mater	Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Queen Mary University of London
Thesis	The Changing Role of the Councillor in British Local Government: An Empirical Analysis (1993)
Academic work
Discipline	political scientist
Institutions	Krea University, Goldsmiths' College, SOAS, Asian University for Women

Early life

Rao was born in 1959 in Hyderabad, India.^[4] She studied at Kendriya Vidyalaya Gill Nagar Kodambakkam, Chennai and competed her Higher Secondary there in the year 1976.

Academic life

Rao served as a Governor of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance.^[5]

Volunteer and Causes

Rao is a member of the Board of Trustees of the UK educational charity United World Schools.^[6]

Awards

In the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours, Rao was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to scholarship.^[7] She was elected Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in 2003.^[8]