Rich, Poor and Mechanism of Sharing in Space, Hyderabad City, India, The Spaces of Encounters

Invitation to PhD Public Defense - Shyam sunder Sirimalla
Thursday, 17th September 2026 |14h00 CET 
Foyer SG, Campus EPFL
Venue Map: https://plan.epfl.ch/?room==SG%20294.22

I am pleased to invite you to the public defense of my PhD thesis:
Rich, Poor and Mechanism of Sharing in Space, Hyderabad City, India
The Spaces of Encounters

Under the direction of Prof. Paola Viganò (Thesis Director) & Prof. Vincent Kaufmann(Thesis Co-Director) at the Laboratory of Urbanism and Urban Sociology Laboratory.

This thesis was accepted upon the jury’s recommendation on May 19, 2026,
by Dr.Vandana Shiva, Satish Kumar, Rahul Srivastava, Prof. Milica Topalović & Prof. Nicola Braghieri.

I started this PhD in 2022 as an EPFLglobalLeader fellow (MSCA COFUND) and is finally reaching its culmination on:
Thursday, 17 September 2026, at 14:00 (CET) 

The defense will conclude with a thematic choreography by CHADO, a Japanese calligraphy dancer from Hiroshima, reflecting on the thesis notes on porous city (see Memento). 

14:00 – 15:00: Research presentation (The Spaces of Encounters, Porous city) 
15:00 – 15:20:  Discussion 
15:20 – 16:00:  Art: CHADO Japanese Choreography, Calligraphy Dance performance
16:00 ~ : Apero 

If you are unable to join us in person, you will find the Zoom link for the defense here: 
https://epfl.zoom.us/j/2980387780?omn=63542020249

After the defense, we will share Indian cuisine and drinks at the venue.

If possible, please mark your attendance here.

I look forward to sharing this moment with you.