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Adhikari, Prakash

FACULTY

Biography

Director, Institute for Migration and Refugee Studies (IMRS)​ at Central Michigan University

Dr. Adhikari is a Professor of Political Science at Central Michigan University. His research and teaching interests lie at the intersection of comparative politics and international relations, with a specific focus on civil war, forced migration and transitional justice. His work has received several awards, prizes, and funding, including a grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), three competitive awards (Dean's Dissertation Fellowship, Regents Graduate Fellowship, and the Clyde E. and Garnet G. Starkey Scholarship Award) and a Popejoy Dissertation Prize from the University of New Mexico, a fully funded Early Career Grant and the Provost's Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity at Central Michigan University.

Dr. Adhikari is currently the advisor for Amnesty International Chapter at CMU (AI-CMU), Refugee Outreach Collective (ROC). He also leads the Global Classroom Program at CMU, where students virtually connect and learn with refugees. He served as Political Science MA Program Director from 2018–2019.

Adhikari was selected as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar in 2024-2025 to teach at the University of Malawi and conduct research at the Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi.  

More about Prakash Adhikari

Adhikari, P., & Hansen, W. L. (2023). “The Continuation of Civil War by Other Means? Post-Conflict Peacebuilding in Nepal.” Journal of Peacebuilding & Development, 18(1), 20–35. 

Adhikari, Prakash and Lisa A Bryan. 2018. “Sampling Hard-to-Locate Populations: Lessons from Sampling Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).” In Atkeson, Lonna and R. Michael Alvarez (ed) The Oxford Handbook on Polling Method and Survey Method. London/New York: Oxford University Press.

Adhikari, P. (2013). “ Conflict-Induced Displacement, Understanding the Causes of Flight.” American Journal of Political Science 57(1): 82-89. 

Adhikari, Prakash. 2012. “The Plight of the Forgotten Ones: Civil war and Forced Migration.” International Studies Quarterly 56(3): 590-606.​

Presentations

Adhikari, P. & Hansen, W.L. “Reparations and Reconciliation in the Mountains: Nepal and Peru.”  International Political Science Association (IPSA), July 12-16, 2025 (Seoul, South Korea).

Adhikari, P. & Hansen, W.L. “Surveying Hard-to-Reach Populations during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” International Political Science Association (IPSA), July 12-16, 2025 (Seoul, South Korea).

Adhikari, P. & Hultquist, P. “Contesting India’s Himalayan Hegemony: Why do some small states acquiesce to attempts at regional hegemony while others reject them?” International Studies Association (ISA), March 2-5, 2025.

Adhikari, P. & Whalen, B. “Do you love your neighbor? Understanding public opinion toward immigrants and foreigners in Africa.” International Studies Association (ISA), March 2-5, 2025.

  • Ph.D., with distinction, Political Science. University of New Mexico (2011)
  • M.A., Political Science. University of New Mexico (2007)
  • M.A., Economics. Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal (1997)
  • B.A., Honors, Economics. North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, India (1991)

Dr. Adhikari studies conflict processes from below and is interested in understanding how civilians behave when they face armed actors and are forced to make a difficult choice between life and death. His most extensive work to date is focused on forced migration, looking at the causes of conflict-induced displacement with a case study in Nepal. Prakash has published in American Journal of Political Science (AJPS), International Studies Quarterly (ISQ), Journal of Conflict Resolution (JCR), among others. His current research is studying the integration of recently resettled refugees into local communities in the United States. At CMU,  he regularly teaches courses on: 

  • Comparative Politics/International Relations
  • Refugees and Forced Migration
  • Armed Conflicts & Pro-government Militias 
  • Transitional Justice
  • South Asian Politics 

Courses Taught

PSC 150 Introduction to International Relations

PSC 242 Introduction to Comparative Politics

PSC 370 Gurus, Avatars, and Nukes: South Asian Politics

PSC 444 Refugees, Forced Migration and Human Trafficking