Prof. (Dr.) Shashikala Gurpur

Jean Monnet Chair Professor
Director, Symbiosis Law School, Pune
Dean, Faculty of Law, Symbiosis International University
Former Member of the Law Commission of India

Prof. Dr. Shashikala Gurpur is an accomplished academician, passionate researcher, toastmaster and a Fulbright Scholar. She holds a Ph.D. in International Law from University of Mysore, Karnataka State Government Award, Gold Medal for topping in LL.M and was the AHRB Visiting Fellow, Edinburgh Law School, UK (2004), selected for Fulbright-Nehru Administrators Seminar, 2011. She has an impressive career with a wide range of impactful experience in teaching, research, NGO and industry. She has been continuing with Symbiosis Law School since 2007 and is a pioneer in EU Legal Studies in India.She has presented more than 325 invited lectures, workshops and seminars in prestigious Universities, conferences and forums across the globe.She has more than 32 years of work experience in academia and corporate combined. Her teaching experience includes tenures in National Law School of India University, Bengaluru (NLSIU), Manipal Institute of Communication (MAHE, Manipal) and University College Cork, Ireland. Her teaching and research interests encompass Jurisprudence, Media Law, International Law, Human Rights, Research Methodology, Feminist Legal Studies, Biotechnology Law, Law and Social Transformation besides having guided more than 100 Master’s and 12 Ph.D awarded students and currently guiding 8 doctoral research students. Dr. Gurpur has 74 research papers, 2 co-authored books and 15 book chapters to her credit and 4 magazine articles. She has presented more than 328 invited lectures, workshops and seminars across India, Thailand, US, UK, Ireland, Germany, Australia, Canada and UAE.

Dr. Shashikala Gurpur is the recipient of several distinct honors, awards and recognition for her contribution in legal education, gender sensitization and community outreach programmes. In recognition of her contributions to the Indian legal academia, she was listed in the book ‘100 Legal Luminaries of India’, by LexisNexis. Dr. Gurpur has been recently conferred with the prestigious Annual Kittur Rani Chennamma Award, by the Government of Karnataka, India in 2018, for her work towards the empowerment of women.

Dr. Shashikala Gurpur was the Member of Law Commission of India, Ministry of Law and Justice, Govt. of India (in 2010-12)and is currently a member on Curriculum Development Committee, Life Member, Indian Law Institute, Member, CDC, Bar Council of India and a distinguished member of the editorial board of The Cyberlaw University International e-journal.She has been recently nominated as a member of The MCCIA Corporate Legislation Committee where she will share her expertise to set a forum that provides curated legal assistance to industries and help guide members in creating awareness on the latest policy changes concerning the industries and member of the International Advisory Board of the Centre for Common Law in Europe, UCD Sutherland School, Ireland to facilitate creation of a research platform whose outreach extends to universities/research centers located in other common law jurisdictions. She has been awarded the honorary membership of Association of Young International Criminal Lawyers (YICL). She is also having annual membership of Member of Asian Law Institute (ASLI), Faculty of Law, NUS , Singapore

Dr Gurpur has conducted numerous gender training, Media literacy, Science literacy and legal literacy in various vernacular languages between 1991 and now impacting more than one lakh women in Karnataka and Maharashtra States. Dr Gurpur is part of all, across community legal service initiatives, community radio..NGO’s, pastoral organisations. Women’s committees. Panchayats and self help groups in Kerela.

Dr. Shashikala Gurpur, alongside leadership at SLSP, contributed to the Law Scholar Fraternity under the Symbiosis International (Deemed University) especially for the law schools under its banner in Noida, Hyderabad and Nagpur. She is applauded for her efforts in incorporation of academic quality, innovative latest legal research in curriculum, interactions with judges, lawyers and interdisciplinary legal experts for lecture delivery, new projects and grants from national and international agencies, rapport with the industry and legal systems of India. The internationalization efforts include European Research Grants, impressive number of international collaborations with universities across the world, students and faculty exchange, international Research Projects like EURASIA, 21st Teach Skills Project, ILFM, DAAD and Erasmus grants, membership with International bodies such as IALS (International Association of Law Schools), ASLI (Asian Law Institute), IUCN etc.