Sandra Thachirickal Prathap

Sandra Thachirickal Prathap is a Research Assistant with the Observer Research Foundation’s (ORF) Strategic Studies Programme (SSP).

Her research examines the geopolitical dynamics of the Global South, with a focus on how emerging powers engage with multilateral institutions, regional forums, and issue-based minilateral groupings. She specialises in India’s engagement with platforms such as BRICS and the Quad. She also has a keen interest in the Global South’s role in climate politics, particularly in adaptation and climate diplomacy within multilateral forums.

Previously, Sandra was a Research Assistant at the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy (AHCD) at the Geneva Graduate Institute, contributing to projects exploring the links between multilateralism and democracy as well as local environmental democracy and green transitions. She has also worked as a Research Intern with IMAGO Global Grassroots, where she conducted field-based impact assessments on the sustainability of women-led collective enterprises, and as a Graduate Researcher with the United Nations University-Centre for Policy Research, supporting work on global governance frameworks for climate-driven migration for the UN Summit of the Future.

She holds a Master’s in International and Development Studies from the Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID) and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Delhi. Her recent publications include analyses on climate-driven migration for UNU-CPR, India’s development cooperation, and the evolving role of BRICS and the Quad in India’s foreign policy.