Harshita Sharma

Having recently submitted my PhD in Education Policy & Administration, specializing in Private tutoring, educational inequality, pathways to education, standardised testing, social disadvantage and belonging. My research employs mixed methods, with qualitative inquiry as my primary strength. I have contributed to international research projects from grant application development to project execution and final report preparation. My work examines educational transitions, barriers to education, and the intersections of disadvantage. I am particularly interested in the intersection of education policy, educational administration, inclusion, and sociology to inform equitable and evidence-based educational systems. I live in Germany and am currently seeking postdoctoral opportunities and international research collaborations (Open to relocating across the world).

• CIES – Comparative and International Education Society
• BAICE – British Association for International & Comparative Education
• CSSHE – Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education
• CESI – Comparative Education Society of India
• STAR Scholars Network – The Society of Transnational Academic Researchers

• (Upcoming)Sharma H. (2026). The Emerging Educational Emergency:Locating the Rise in the Private and Privatisation of Indian Educational Spaces. Redefining Higher Education in India. (Pp 149-163). Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
• Sharma H. (2026). Private Supplementary Tutoring at Higher- Secondary Level: An Exploratory Study of Delhi Region. Educating the Children in India: Pandemic Learning and NEP 2020 (Pp 187-207). Shipra Publications & NIEPA. ISBN: 9789349637771(HB).
• Shenderova, Svetlana & Jokila, Suvi & Anafinova, Saule & Liu, Yingxin & Sharma, Harshita & Steane, Natalya. (2024). The Shadows of Internationalisation: Conceptual Lens and Policy Perspectives. Nordic Journal of Comparative and International Education (NJCIE). 8. 10.7577/njcje.6036.
• Sharma H. (2023). Shadow Education Market: Privatisation and Commercialisation of Education. In Bairagya S., Sinha S. (Eds). Advanced Sociological Perspective on Education (Pp 70-79). ISBN: 978-93-91978-41-9. Delhi Shipra Publications.
• Sharma H. & Pritam B.P. (2023). Restructuring of Higher Education in India with reference to National Education Policy, 2020.In Mondal A., Dutta I., Pritam. B.P. (Eds). National Education Policy 2020: Policy Reforms and Perspectives (Pp 207-221). ISBN: 978-8126935550. New Delhi Atlantic Publishers.
• Sharma, H. (2019). Equity Related Concerns: Impact of Private tutoring in India. Journal of Education Culture and Society, 10(2), 299-308. https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs20192.299.308(Peer reviewed journal)
• Sharma, H. (2019). The Perception on Need and Impact of Private Supplementary Tutoring at Higher secondary level in Delhi Region of India: An Exploratory Study. The Eurasia Proceedings of Educational and Social Sciences, 13, 5-16. Retrieved from https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/epess/issue/48443/613673. (Conference proceedings)
• Book Review publication in Journal of Educational Planning and Administration Volume XXXVII, No. 2, April 2023 for the book 'CHITPIN, S. and PORTELLI, J. P. (Ed) (2019): Confronting Educational Policy in Neolibera l Times: International Perspectives

• Presented a paper titled ‘The Primary School Teachers’ Experiences during the Pandemic: Intersections of Professionalism, Gender, Region and Digital literacy’ in 2022 Intersectional Studies Remote Conference South Carolina State University titled ‘Cultural Crossroads in the Global Village’ held on March 25, 2022.
• Presented a paper titled ‘Access to Higher Education: Exploring the Private Tutoring Practice in Post Pandemic World’ in National Seminar organized by National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, GoI, India on Higher Education in Post-Colonial World: New Normal in Post COVID situation held on March 10,2022- March 12, 2022, at NIEPA, New Delhi, India.
• Presented a paper titled ‘The Indian Coaching Industry: Addressing Sustainability and Innovation in Shadow Education’ presented in International Conference on Sustainable Future: Innovations in Education, organised by JK Lakshmipat University, Jaipur, India, held on February 25& February 26 , 2022.
• Presented a paper titled ‘Shadow Education: Exploring the Trinity of the Market, the state and Technology’ in the Post Pandemic Indian Democracy’ in National Webinar on Implementation of Educational Best Practices in Multicultural Democracies, organised by CEDBEC, Christ University, Bangalore, held on February 9 &February 10, 2022.
• Presented a paper titled ‘Addressing Academic Demands of the 4th Industrial Revolution while Dealing with the Pandemic: the Primary School Teacher’s Perspective’ organised by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, India on December 17 & December 18, 2021 (virtually).
• Presented a paper titled ‘Understanding Primary Teachers’ Experiences During Covid: The Way Forward for the Post- Pandemic World’ in 2nd Annual International Conference titled ‘Reshaping Educational Leadership: Building on Collective Action in Challenging Times’organised by the Dept. of Leadership and Diverity,Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada, held on December 10 & December 11, 2021.
• Presented a paper titled ‘Exploring Access to Private Supplementary Tutoring in Post- Pandemic World’ in the 11th Annual International Conference (online) organized by the Comparative Education Society of India with the theme ‘Mapping Education in Times of Covid-19’, held on December 17 – December 19, 2021.
• Presented a paper titled ‘The perception on Need and Impact of Private Supplementary Tutoring at Higher Secondary Level in Delhi Region of India: An Exploratory Study' in ICRES,2019 held atCesme, Izmir (Turkey) on April 28- May 1, 2019.
• Presented a paper titled 'Changing Gender Roles in a Socially Progressing Society: Studying Jogula Community in Andhra Pradesh' in UGC sponsored two-day seminar Interrogating Gender: Literature, Law and Society in India at SPM College, University of Delhi (India) on August 9 and 10, 2019.
• Presented a paper titled 'Middle Class Aspirations & Entrance Examinations: A study of Private Tutoring in Delhi' in National Seminar on Education: Systems, Practices and Research organised by CEDEBEC, Christ University, Bangalore (India) on August 22- 24, 2019.
• Presented a paper titled 'The Parental Perception on Need and Impact of Private Supplementary Tutoring in India: (with implications to Indian Population Residing in the UAE)' in GTPI seminar organised by GCES in Dubai (UAE) on September 4 and 5, 2019.
• Presented a paper titled 'Expansion of Shadow Education Industry: An Agent of deepening inequalities' in International Conference on Sustainability Education at Indian Habitat Centre, Delhi, India organised by Mobius Foundation, The Climate Reality Project and UNESCO on September 9 and 10, 2019.
• Presented a paper titled 'Education, Capacity Building and Community Transformation- A case study of Jogula Community in Khambadur, A.P' at the 6th Annual International Conference of India, CESI organisedby Azim Premji University, Bengaluru (India) from December 14-16, 2015.

• 09/2022: Early Career Researchers Grant, Awarded by British Association for International & Comparative Education Conference (BAICE), 2022, held at University of Edinburgh from 13/09/2022 to 15/09/2022.
• 09/2022: International Conference Grant, Awarded by Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR), India to attend British Association for International & Comparative Education Conference, 2022, held at University of Edinburgh from 13/09/2022 to 15/09/2022.