• Critical Urban Theory
• Political Ecology of Communication Infrastructure Projects
• Economic History of Modern South Asia  
• Environmental History 
• Critical Climate Studies 

• MPhil , , JNU, New Delhi
• PhD , , University of Gottingen, Germany

Teaching Career 

27 January 2022 onwards:  

Associate Professor, Department of History, Hansraj College, University of Delhi 

2008 to 2022: 
Assistant Professor, Department of History, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, 
2003-04
Guest Lecturer, Department of History, Church Missionary Society College, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala-686001

External Roles and Memberships:

• 2022 - : Member, Board of Studies, Department of History, Sree Sankaracharaya University, Kalady, Kerala 
• 2021 -: Distinguished Fellow, Institutes for Multidisciplinary Programmes in Social Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala
• External PhD and MPhil Examiner for various universities (Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, Sree Sankara University of Sanskrit, Kalady, Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala) 
• External Reviewer for various refereed Journals and Publishing Houses (Economic and Political Weekly, Oxford University Press, Delhi, Sage Publications Delhi)  
• Convener, Board of Examiners for various UG History Courses, Department  of History, University of Delhi 
   

2022: Convener and Member, NEP UG History Courses' Revision Committee, Department of History, University of Delhi for the following Courses: 

• Global Environmental History 
• Environmental History of the Indian Subcontinent 
• Politics of Nature
• Nature in Human History
• Environmental Issues in India
• The climate in Human History 

2019: Member, Board of Studies for LOCF UG Courses, Department of History, University of Delhi for the following Courses: 

• Global Ecological Histories 
• Politics of Nature 
• Social Formations and Cultural Patterns of the Ancient and Medieval World 
• History of India, c. 1700-1950

2014: Member, Board of Studies for MA and BA History Courses, MG University, Kottayam, Kerala 

2011: Subject Committee Member for History Courses, Equal Opportunity Cell, University of Delhi. 

Awards and Recognitions 

• 2017: PhD Scholarship German Historical Institute, London.
• 2014-2017 Erasmus Mundus PhD Fellowship. 
• 2008: Indian Council of Social Science Research-Centre for Studies in Developing Societies Junior Research Fellowship, 2008.
• 2007: Junior Research Fellowship, Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi, India.
• 2006: Fellow, Students Stipendship Programme on Research on City 2004-2005, Sarai, Centre for Studies in Developing Societies, 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi, India. 
• 2005: Research Grant, Indian Council of Historical Research  

• The Making of Contemporary India (c. 1950-1990)
•  Global Environmental History
• History of Modern Europe 
• Environmental History of the Indian Subcontinent 
• History of the United States of America 
• Social Formations and Cultural Patterns of Ancient and Medieval World

Currently co-supervising one PhD titled "Monsoon in Colonial Malabar: History, Memories and Everyday Life", University of Calicut, Kerala 

Member, Doctoral  Advisory Committee for a PhD, Department of History, Sree Shankara University, Kaladay 

2023-24

• Deputy Superintendent of Examination, Hansraj College 
• Convener, Environmental Awareness Society (Haritima)
• Member, Timetable Committee 

2022-23

• Convener, Environmental Awareness Society (Haritima)
• Member, Timetable Committee 

2021-22

• Convener, College Timetable Committee, Arts and Commerce
• Member, College Workload Committee, Arts and Commerce 

2020-21

• Teacher-in-Charge, Department of History
• Convener, College Timetable Committee, Arts and Commerce
• Member, Apex Committee for Online Education 
• Member, Hostel Committee, Hansraj College 
• Member, Library Committee, Hansraj College
• Member, Purchase Committee, Hansraj College

2019-20

• Convener, Environmental Awareness Committee, Hansraj College 

2018-19

• Co-Convener, Committee involved in the revision of BA Prog Core Course IV: History of India, c. 1700-1950
• Member LOCF UGC Course Revision Committee for the following Courses: 
• 1. DSE XI: Global Ecological Histories 
• 2. GE V: Politics of Nature 
• 3: DSE XVI: The Making of Contemporary India (c. 1950-1990s) 
• 4 Core II and IV: Social Formations and Cultural Patterns of the Ancient and Medieval World 
• Teacher-in-Charge, Department of History
• Convener, Environmental Awareness Committee
• Member, Equal Opportunity Cell, Hansraj College
• Member, Hostel Committee, Hansraj College 
• Member, Library Committee, Hansraj College
• Member, Purchase Committee, Hansraj College
• Member, Hostel Committee, Hansraj College 
• Member, Library Committee, Hansraj College
• Member, Purchase Committee, Hansraj College

2017-18

• Member, Enabling Unit 
• Member, College Discipline Committee

2013-14

• External Subject Expert, Board of Studies for MA History, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam Kerala, 2014.
• Member, Garden Committee, Hansraj College 
• Advisor, Enabling Unit, Hansraj College 

2012-13

• Teacher-in-Charge, Department of History
• Convener, English Debating Society
• Advisor, Enabling Unit, Hansraj College 
   

2011-12

• Convener, English Debating Society
• Convener, English Dramatics Society
• Seminar-in-Charge, Department of History
• Coordinator, Enabling Unit, Hansraj College 
• Subject committee member for BA History, Equal Opportunity Cell, University of Delhi. 

2010-11

• Member, Equal Opportunity Cell, Hansraj College 
• Seminar-in-Charge, Department of History, Hansraj College  

2009-10

• Seminar-in-Charge, Department of History 

PhD: Geographies of Accumulation: Nature, Infrastructure, and the Urbanisation of Cochin, c. 1860-1945

MPhil: Churning the Backwaters: Empire and Harbour Building in Cochin 1920-1939 

• The Climate Crisis, Vulnerabilities, and the Preservation of Urban Heritage Sites in Delhi, Independent Reserch Project funded by the Research and Development Cell, Hansraj College (2024) 
• Faculty Coordinator, Project Chetana, Environmental Awareness Society Hansraj College, 2018-19. 
• Faculty Coordinator, WWF India Youth Programme-Environmental Awareness Projects 2018-19. 

“Port Building and Urban Modernity: Cochin 1920-1945‟ in Bose, Satheesh Chandra and Shiju Sam Varghese, eds. Kerala Modernity: Ideas, Spaces, Practices in Transition. (Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan, 2015), ISBN No. 978-93-86392-65-7. 

"Climate Change Studies and the Anthropocene," in Prasad Pannian, ed. Are Your Human: Manushyethara Manavikataykku Oramukhan (Kottaym: DC Books, 2021), ISBN No. 978-93-54321-47-4. 

“Colonialism and Environment: Green Imperialism,” in History of Environment, CBCS course material of Indira Gandhi National Open University. Website link: https://www.egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/76829/1/Unit-8.pdf 

"Locating Delhi Farmers Protests of 2020-21 as an Environmental Justice Movement", NCC Review Vol. CXLIV, no. 5 (June 2024), ISSN N0. 0975-1882. 

"An Urban Environmental History of Mining: metal Mining and Urban Appropriation of Nature in Zawar, Rajasthan", Rajasthan History Congress Proceedings Vol. XXXVII (February 2024), ISSN 2321-1288, 216-225. 

"The Challenges of Democratic Path: Decolonisation Studies and Historicising the Constitution of India", Third Concept, Vol 38, No. 445, March 2024, ISSN 0970-7247, 7-13. 

"Capitalism, Climate Crisis, and Methodological Challenges in Environmental History", Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 58, No. 27, 2023, 8 July, ISSN (Online): 2349-8846: https://www.epw.in/engage/article/capitalism-climate-crisis-and-methodological

‘Badge of Labour: Marginal Lives of the Labouring Poor in the Port of Cochin, South Asia Chronicles, Vol. 18, 2022, pp. 329-346, ISBN No. 978-3-86004-349-3

“Race and Slavery in the Reparatory History of the United States” (Malayalam), Sahitya Lokam, Vol. 6, 2020, pp. 6-2-, ISSN NO: 2319-3263. 

"Richard Grove and Environmental History of the Global Periphery- (Hortus Malabaricus muthal El Nino Vare- Published in Malayalam)", Chengazhi, Vol. 1, No. 6, 2021, pp. 21-29. ISSN No. 25819585

“Badge of Labour: Marginal Lives of the Labouring Poor of Cochin,” in Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) Online Repository on the History and Historiography of Labour, 2020: Webpage link: http://kchr.ac.in/articles/199. 

"Steam Shipping and Uneven Urbanisation: Cochin, Southwest India, c. 1860s to 1914", Journal of Indian History, Vol. XCVI-VII, 2018-2020, pp. 11-29, ISSN NO. 0022-1775. 

"Democracy and Unfreedom: The History of Ancient Greece for our Times", Journal of Indian History, Vol. XCIV-XCV, 2015-2017, pp. 25-58. ISSN No. 0022-1775.  

Book Reviews: 

'Agola Mooladhavaum Dakshinendyayile Thottamthozhilalikalum (Global Capital and Peripheral Labour: History and Political Economy of Plantation Workers in India)' by K. Raviraman, Economic and Political Weekly LVIII, No. 33 (Aug 2023), 31-34. ISSN No. 0012-9976.

'Coolies Great War: The Social History of World War I,” Tapasam Vol. XVII, no. 1 &2, 2021, 72-180. ISSN No. 2249-9873.

Popular Articles: 

• "Sunderlal Bahuguna: Prophet of Nature," Samakalika malayalam Vaarika, vol. 25, no. 4 (7 June, 2021), pp. 40-51, RNI Reg No. 6625/1997.
• "Pandemic and the Right to the City", Navamalayali Online Magazine, 23 May 2020 (https://navamalayali.com/2020/05/23/column-justin-mathew/)
• "Neoliberalisation of Education and Classroom Experiences of Students," Navamalayali Magazine, 10 June 2020 (https://navamalayali.com/2020/06/10/neoliberal-exams-and-students/)
• "The Constitution and Social Justice: A Manifesto for Decolonisation," Navamalayali Magazine, 29 Feb 2020 (https://navamalayali.com/2020/02/29/article-justin-mathew/)
• "Panama Canal and the Divided History of Globalisation," Navamalayali Magazine, 24 Dec. 2019 (https://navamalayali.com/2019/12/24/second-nature-column-by-justin-mathew/)
• "Capitalocene and the Marxian Interpretation of Nature," Navamalayali Magazine, 21 Nov 2019 (https://navamalayali.com/2019/11/21/column-second-nature-justin/)
• "Ramayana Readings and Historical Research ", Mangalam Daily, 17 Dec. 2011, p. 6 
• Autonomy and Higher Education: A Case of Kerala Colleges, Mathrubhumi Daily, 14 May 2013, p. 4. 
• "Neoliberal Policies and Higher Education Reforms in India", Madhyamam Weekly, vol, 17, no. 20, 2014, RNI No. 66986/97

International Conferences 

1. Invited Speaker, Connected Stories (International Conference on Environment and Society" Organised by the Department of History, University of Maranhao, Sao Luis, Brazil (21-24 November, 2023)
2. Inaugural Speaker, the third Himachal Pradesh Sociological Society Conference titled "Development in Mountains: Issues, Challenges and Solutions (11 and 12 December, 2023)
3. European Society for Environmental History Conference, July 2022, Bristol, UK, Title of the Paper: ‘The Political Ecology a Colonial Harbour Building Project: Cochin Backwaters, Southwest India, 1920-39.’ 
4. “British Free Trade and Princely Monopoly: Colonial Port and the Geographies of Accumulation in Southwest India, 185s0s-1870s”, (Workshop-Studying Capitalist Phenomena in Time, Uppsala Lab of Economic Sociology, Uppsala, Sweden, Dec, 2016)
5. “Colonial Ports and Geographies of Accumulation, Cochin Southwest India (1860-1945)” (Colloquium Series, German Historical Institute, London, September 2017).
6. Participated and presented a research paper titled "The Maritime Infrastructure Project and Urban Modernity in a workshop titled “On the Concept and Methodology of Multiple Modernities and Global Theory”, Centre for Modern South East Asian Studies, University of Göttingen, Dec. 2016.

National Level Conferences and Workshops 

1. 37th Rajasthan History Conference, Jodhpur Rajasthan, 23-24 February 2024. Title of the paper: An Urban-Environmental History of Mining: Metal Mining and Urban Appropriation of Nature in Zawar, Rajasthan. 
2. Short Term Seminar Course (online) on "Introduction to Environmental History," Institute for Multidisciplinary Programmes in Social Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, July-August, 2021.
3. “Critical Geography and Rethinking the History of Urbanisation” as part of the Seven Day Online National Conference on “Critique and Constructions: Contemporary Writings on Histories of Keralam, organized by the Department of History, Sree Sankaracharya Unversity of Sanskrit, Kalady, 2 March 2021.
4. Presented the keynote lecture at a national seminar on "Region, Modernity and History Writing: Narratives from the Western Ghats", Department of History, Pavanatma College, Murikkassery, Kerala, 16 January 2019. 
5. "Cochin in the Indian Ocean World Economy: 1920-1945” (Seminar Series, School of Social Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India, August 2007)
6. “Imagining Backwaters as Harbour Space: Cochin in the Era of Steam, 1870-1914” (Presented in the Research Scholars Paper Presentation Series, Centre for Historical Studies, School of Social Sciences, JNU, New Delhi, November 2007)
7. “Local and Imperial Knowledge in the Work Process: Building of the Cochin Harbour, 1920-1939”. (Presented in the 6th International Conference on Labour History, Organized by the Association of the Indian Labour Historians, Delhi, India, November 2006:)

1. Invited talk titled ‘Historical Perspective on the Climate Crisis: Methodological Challenges’ as a part of a Short Term Course on ‘Research Methodology’ organised by UGC-MMTTC, Bharatiyar University Tamilnadu, December 2024.  
2. Invited talk titled 'Agrarian and Environmental Movements in Intersectional Perspective', in the Ten Day Short Term Course on Intersectionality Studies organised by the Dakshayni Velayudhan Centre for Women's Studies, University of Kalady, Kerala (17 to 26 March 2023)
3. Special lecture on "Gendered History of Climate Crisis", National Seminar organised by the Newman College Thodupuzha and St. Teresa's College, Kerala (1 February 2023).
4. Invited lecture titled "Climate Crisis, the Anthropocene, and Environmental History, Department of History, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, Kerala (21 March 2022) 
5. Delivered a special lecture on "Critical Climate History: A Marxist Historical Perspective in the Age of Global Warming", IMPS, M.G. University, Kottayam, Kerala (18 March 2022).
6. Invited lecture on "What History Means in the contemporary world' Research Methodology Workshop organised by the Student Learning Centre, and IQAC, Hansraj College (7 to 29 January 2022) 
7. Delivered a National Seminar on the topic “An Introduction to Environmental Justice: A Historical Perspective” on 14 September 2021, St. Francis De Sales College, Nagpur.
8. Delivered a lecture on "Delhi Farmers' Movement: Why It Matters to Environmental Justice, Department of Political Science, Government College, Madappally Kerala, 16 August 2021 
9. Delivered a lecture on “The Urbanisation of Backwaters: A Political Ecology of the Cochin Harbour Project” as part of the International webinar series Organised by the Kerala Council for Historical Research, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 13 October 2020.
10. Delivered a special lecture on "Mapping Independent India: Language-Based State Formations as the History of Decolonization," Pavanatma College, Murickessery, Kerala, 1 July 2019, 
11. Delivered an invited lecture on “Marine Infrastructure Projects and Environmental Justice: A Case of Cochin Harbour”, Organized by the Department of History, University of Calicut, Kerala, 5 June 2021. 
12. Delivered a special lecture on “Thinking about the Past in History Classroom” organized by the Department of History, UC College, Aluva, Kerala, 13 November 2020.
13. Offred a short-term seminar course (online) on "Marxism and Critical Geography," Dialectical Research Fouram, Kalady, Kerala, Oct. 2020.
14. Delivered a lecture on “Historical Geography and Critical Urban Theory” Department of History, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady Kerala on 18 January 2019.
15. “Region Modernity and History Writing: Narratives from the Western Ghats” Pavanatama College, Murickassery, Kerala, 16 January 2019.
16. “The Concept of Nature and Writing History: Lessons from the Great Floods of 1924 and 2018”, Newman College, Thodupuzha, Kerala on 17 January 2019.
17. Delivered an invited talk "Studying Contemporary History: A Critical Perspective, Department of History, Henry Baker College, Melukavu, Kerala, 28 June 2019. 

1. Resource Person, Two-Days National Workshop on "Writing History: Sources and Methods", UC College, Aluva, 4-5 February, 2023. 
2. Offered a webinar course on the topic “Introduction to Environmental History,” August 2021, Institute of Multidisciplinary Programme in Social Sciences, MG University, Kerala
3. Coordinator, one-week Faculty Development Programme on "Historiography and Research Methodology" Organised by the Department of History, Hansraj College in Collaboration with Mahatma Hansraj Faculty Development Centre, Hansraj College, 19 to 24 April 2021.  
4. Organized a one-day National Workshop on “Decolonisation and Studying the History of Contemporary India”, Department of History, Hansraj College, 13 February 2021, 
5. Organized a one-day workshop on the CBCS-LOCF GE course “Politics of Nature,” Department of History,
   University of Delhi, 20 Nov 2020.
6. Attended a Summer School on "The Indian Ocean World and Eurasian Connections: Networks of Connectivities: Routes, Commodities, and the Politics of the Indian Ocean, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 25-30 July 2016. 

Faculty Editor, Hansraj Undergraduate History Journal  

FDP/MOOCs attended

• Attended one-week Faculty Development Programme on "Roadmap for Building New India with New Education Policy", Mahatma Hansraj FDP Centre, 21 to 25 July 2021. 
• Attended One-Week Faculty Development Programme on "Student-Centric Pedagogic Methods," Mahatma Hansraj FDP Centre, 27 January to 2 February 2021. 
• Attended One-Week Faculty Development Programme on "Intellectual Property Rights", Mahatma Hansraj FDP Centre, 10 to 17 February 2021. 
• Seven Weeks MOOC on “The Modern World Part One: Global History From 1760 to 1910,” University of Virginia, /83J9AUYHLXUD (coursera.org), 2020
• Seven Weeks MOOC on “The Ancient Greeks,” Wesleyan University, USA, X89CXQVKPFN2(coursera.org), 2019.
• Seven Weeks MOOC on “The Modern World Part Two: Global History Since 1910,” University of Virginia, GKW6WCU4JP5B(coursera.org), 2019. 
• Attended seven-day FDP on “E-content Generation and Managing Online Teaching, ” Mahatma Hansraj FDP Centre, Hansraj College, 11 to 17 Dec 2020. 
• Attended seven-day FDP on “Moving Towards New Normal through Effective Online Teaching,” Mahatma Hansraj FDP Centre, Hansraj College, 1 Dec to 7 Dec. 2017.
• Attended seven-day FDP on “Higher Education: Road Ahead-Developing Next Generation Academic Leaders, Teaching Learning Centre, Ramanujan College (online and self-paced), 25 Nov to 1 Dec 2020. 
• Attended seven days FDP course in Humanities and social theory (History), UGC-Human Resource Development Centre, University of Kerala and MSM College, Kerala, 07 Oct to 14 Oct 2020. 
• Attended one-month Orientation Programme (OR 77), CPDHE, Unversity of Delhi University, 23 June to 19 July 2014
• Attended a three-week Refresher Course (History), UGC-Academic Staff College, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 7 to 27 February 2014.  

Field Work Experience and Archival Research

2008-2019

• Cochin Regional Archives and Thiruvananthapuram Regional Archives, Kerala
• Archives of Cochin Port, Cochin Municipal Corporation, Cochin Chamber of
• Commerce, Indian Chamber of Commerce and various trade union offices
• Fieldwork among various port communities in Cochin
• National Archives of India; Nehru Memorial Museum and Library New Delhi
• India Office Records and Library, London UK
• Metropolitan Archives, London, UK
• Centre of South Asian Studies Archives, Cambridge, UK
• Glasgow University Archives, UK
• Greenwich Maritime Museum Archives, UK
• City Archives, Winterthur, Switzerland

Lectures and talks available online: 
Kerala Council for Historical Research Lecture: "Urbanisation of Backwaters": 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjfEjNIPzQA&t=5002s

Department of History, University of Kalady: "Critical Geography and Rethinking the History of Urbanisation":

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzkPORuf6rw&t=2520s

Others:

• Secretary, Staff Association, Hansraj College, 2013-14
• Secretary, Thrift and Credit Society, Hansraj College, 2012-14
• In-Charge, Tea Club, Hansraj College, 2012-14