Rakib completed his DPhil in International Development at the University of Oxford in 2020. His thesis analysed the role of the ‘actually existing state’ in the delivery of a Smart City project in India. It looked at how actors of neoliberalism and right-wing religious nationalism (or Hindutva), who are part of the state, come together in helping each other take root through the delivery of an urbanisation project. The research was the outcome of extensive fieldwork in the affected villages as well in the Special Purpose Vehicle designed to deliver the project.
As a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow with a team based at Anglia Ruskin University, Rakib examined the relationship of Peri-urbanisation and Climate Change in India. In terms of teaching, Rakib has delivered a number of teaching assignments as a Tutor at various colleges in the University of Oxford as well as at the UCL. Prior to the PhD, Rakib has taught at an architecture college in India. Before entering academia, Rakib has worked as a Chartered Architect and an Urban Planner in India, the Middle-East as well as in the UK.
In addition to this, Rakib’s research project inquires the role of Health in the design and planning of Smart Cities in India. The project takes a particular focus on the post-pandemic era to illustrate how health has become a key discourse of city planning. Rakib is a co-editor of an upcoming book titled ‘COVID-19 in South Asia: Impact on Society, Economics and Politics’ to be published by Routledge.