Pranay Somayajula

Pranay Somayajula is a PhD student in the Department of Political Science, specializing in political theory and international relations. As a writer, researcher, and organizer, his work primarily revolves around the structures of global imperialism, as well as questions of decolonization, internationalism, and anti-imperialist resistance—both historically and in the present day. As a scholar, his specific research interests focus on how contemporary discourses of ‘terrorism’ and ‘counterterrorism’ have been shaped by the global colonial experience, particularly by the cross-imperial circulation of counterinsurgency practices, personnel, and tactics within the British Empire. In addition to his academic work, Pranay has written for public audiences in a variety of outlets including The Drift, Jacobin, and Monthly Review, as well as on his Substack blog, culture shock. He also hosts the anti-imperialist podcast Return to Bandung. Prior to joining the Department of Political Science, Pranay worked as Organizing and Advocacy Director at Hindus for Human Rights, an organization that mobilizes progressive Hindus in the United States and across the diaspora to oppose caste, Hindu nationalism, and all forms of bigotry and oppression.