Bio

Dr. Ritu Mathur is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Texas at San Antonio, USA. Her research and teaching interests are in the field of International Relations with specialization in Security Studies. She is interested in developing postcolonial and critical security studies lenses to address problems of human suffering at the intersection of humanitarianism and disarmament. Her first book, Red Cross Interventions in Weapons Control (2017) articulates a detailed account of practices of witnessing, trauma and testimony, practices of legalization and medicalization as the ICRC’s crafts an ‘effects based approach’ to arms regulation and prohibition. Dr. Mathur’s second book, Civilizational Discourses in Weapons Control (2020) studies the problem of modernity, ethnocentrism and universality as it explores how concepts of time and civilization are deployed as rhetorical resources in configuring our imaginary of arms control and disarmament as a disciplinary field of study. She has served as a guest editor for the Asian Journal of Political Science and in this capacity brought forth a Special Issue: Postcolonial Perspectives on Weapons Control (2018)  She has published peer reviewed articles in reputed journals such as Contemporary Security Policy, Critical Studies on Security, Alternatives:  Global, Local, Political, and Strategic Analysis. Dr. Mathur is currently working on a book manuscript investigating the problem of Security Archives and the Problem of Cyber Arms Control. 

Degrees

• Ph. D in Political Science York University, Toronto, Canada
• M. Phil in Politics with specialization in Disarmament Studies, JNU, India
• M.A in Politics with specialization in International Relations, JNU, India
• B.A in Political Science (Honors), University of Kolkata, India

Recent Courses

Courses Taught at undergraduate and graduate level fat UTSA from Fall 2014- continuing

• POL/GLA 5043 Graduate Class-International Politics
• POL/GLA 5883 Graduate Class-Global Development & Human Rights
• POL/GLA 5303 Graduate Class- Critical Security Studies
• POL/GLA 4593 International Law
• POL/GLA 4973 Senior Seminar-Humanitarian Politics
• POL/GLA 3213 Theories of International Relations
• POL/GLA 3043 International Human Rights
• POL/GLA 3233 Theories of Justice
• POL/GLA 2603 International Politics
• POL/GLA 3523 Force in International Politics
• POL/GLA 3523 Violence in International Politics
• POL/GLA 3523 Current Issues in World Politics

Recent Publications

Single Author Books and Special Issues

• Mathur, Ritu. Security Archives and the Problem of Cyber Arms Control (work in progress)
• Mathur, Ritu. 2020. Civilizational Discourses in Weapons Control. Switzerland, Palgrave-Macmillan.
• Mathur, Ritu. 2017. Red Cross Interventions in Weapons Control. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Press.
• Mathur, Ritu and Runa Das. ed. 2018. “Special Issue: Postcolonial Perspectives on Weapons Control.” Asian Journal of Political Science 26, no.3: 293-389

Refereed Articles (single author publications)

• Mathur, Ritu. 2018. “Human Rights as a New Standard of Civilization in Weapons Control?” Alternatives: Global, Local, Political 42 (4): 227-243. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0304375418770296
• Mathur, Ritu. 2018. “Techno-Racial Dynamics of Denial & Dynamic of Difference in Weapons Control.” Asian Journal of Political Science 26 (3):297-313. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02185377.2018.1515640
• Mathur, Ritu. 2016. “Sly Civility and the Paradox of Equality/Inequality in the Nuclear Order: A Post Colonial Critique.”Critical Studies on Security 2 (1): 57-72. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21624887.2015.1106428 ;    
• Mathur, Ritu. 2014. “ ‘West & the Rest’ a Civilizational Mantra  in Arms Control & Disarmament.” Contemporary Security Policy 35 (3): 332-355 (Nominated for the Bernard Brodie Prize (2014) for outstanding article, by Contemporary Security Policy) http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13523260.2014.960164
• Mathur, Ritu. 2012. “ Practices of Legalization in Arms Control & Disarmament: The ICRC, CCW and Landmines ” Contemporary Security Policy 33 (3): 1-24 (Nominated for the Bernard Brodie Prize (2012) for outstanding article, by Contemporary Security Policy) http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13523260.2012.727678
• Mathur, Ritu. 2011. “Humanitarian Practices of Arms Control & Disarmament.” Contemporary Security Policy 32 (1): 176-192 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13523260.2011.556859
• Mathur, Ritu. 2000. “Theatre Missile Defence (TMD) in the Asia-Pacific: A View from China.” Strategic Analysis 24 (8):1445-1455. http://www.idsa-india.org/an-nov-00-4.html

Book Chapters (single author publications)

• Mathur, Ritu. “Politics of Cyber Arms Control,” in Xavier Guillaume and Kyle Grayson, ed., Security Studies- Critical Perspectives, (Oxford: Oxford University Press) ( book chapter accepted, forthcoming 2023)
• Mathur, Ritu. 2019.“Resistance to a Worldview.” in Science, Technology & Art in International Relations, edited by Madeline Carr, J. P. Singh and Rene- Marline Bennett, 202-207. New York: Routledge.
• Mathur, Ritu. 2014. “Humanitarian Witnesses & Testimonies in Arms Control & Disarmament- A Case Study of the ICRC.” In Memory & Trauma in International Relations: Theories, Cases & Debates, edited by Erica Resende & Dovile Budryte, 198-214. New York & London: Routledge.
• Mathur, Ritu. 2012. “Humanitarian Practices of Arms Control & Disarmament.” In Reconceptualizing Arms Control- Controlling the Means of Violence, edited by David Mutimer & Neil Cooper, 176-192. New York & London: Routledge.
• Mathur, Ritu. 2005. “The Multiple Voices of INGOs: Humanitarian Discourse in Global Politics.” In The Ethics of Building Peace in International Relations, edited by Ryerson Christie & Elizabeth Dauphinee, 207-222. Toronto: York Centre for International & Security Studies.

Internet, Newspaper & Magazine Articles

• Malkki, Liisa H. The Need to Help: The Domestic Arts of International Humanitarianism, (Durham & London: Duke University Press, 2015), Society & Space, February 9, 2016.  http://societyandspace.org/2016/02/09/the-need-to-help-by-liisa-h-malkki-reviewed-by-ritu-mathur/#
• Grugel, Jean and Wil Hout, ed. Regionalism Across the North-South Divide: State Strategies and Globalization”, (London: Routledge, 1999), International Studies, 38, no. 1 (2001): 91-93.
• Sood,V. K. and Pravin Sawhney, Operation Parakram: The War Unfinished, (New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2003), South Asian Survey 11, no.1 (2004):157-160
• Internet, Newspaper & Magazine Articles
• ‘Afghanistan: Trump aur Taliban ka Shanti Samjhauta’ Observer Research Foundation, September 6, 2021. https://www.orfonline.org/hindi/research/trump-and-talibans-peace-agreement/
• ‘Afghanistan: A Call for leadership,’ Observer Research Foundation, September 4, 2021. https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/afghanistan-a-call-for-leadership/
• ‘Trump and Taliban’s Peace Agreement,’ Observer Research Foundation, September 1, 2021. https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/trump-taliban-peace-agreement/
• ‘Reflections on Indian neo-nationalism and exceptionalism” Observer Research Foundation, June 30, 2020. https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/reflections-indian-neo-nationalism-exceptionalism-68812/
• “Campus Carry and Speaking Truth to Power”,  La Voz de Esperanza, 29, no.1, February 1, 2016. http://www.esperanzacenter.org/lavozpdfs2016/2016_01february.pdf
• “ Guns & Education Do Not Mix’ San Antonio Express News, November 21, 2015. http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/commentary/article/Guns-and-education-do-not-mix-6646785.php
• “US Fear of Multilaterlism” The Pioneer, February 7, 2003.
• http://www.dailypioneer.com/archives2/default12.asp/main_variable=OPED&file_name=opd2%Etxt&counter_img=2&phy_path_it=12/20/03

Podcasts & Television Appearance

• KSAT12 News Network, Q&A on Afghanistan and US withdrawal of Troops, August 20, 2020
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_1Nb67RpuE
• Decolonizing the Language of Arms Control, Scholars Circle Interview, Decemeber 13, 2020. http://www.armoudian.com/scholars-circle-us-and-international-response-to-covid-19-vaccine-decolonizing-the-language-of-arms-control-december-13-2020/
• India-China Border Conflict Examined. Scholars Circle Interview, June 21, 2020. http://www.armoudian.com/scholars-circle-india-china-border-conflicts-examined-issues-with-privatization-of-governmental-services-june-21-2020/
• Medicalization & Weapons Control. Academic Council on the United Nations, Current Issues No.39, 27th March, 2014. https://acuns.org/ci39/
• International Humanitarian Law. Bitacora C7 Radio 96.3 FM in Guadalajara, Mexico, bilingual interview on, 7th August, 2015.

Additional Information

Nominations/Awards/Scholarships

• Awarded UTSA Adopt-A- Free- Text Book Grant (Amount 500$) 2022-2023 

• Awarded UTSA Faculty Internal Research Grant (Amount 5000$) 2021-2022 

• Awarded UTSA Faculty Development Leave Award with pay from UTSA (Spring 2022)

• Awarded Carlos and Malu Alvarez International Study Fund (2015-16) by University of Texas at San Antonio, USA. This award was for developing an International Student Study Abroad program between UTSA and University of Guadalajara, Mexico. ($5,000) 

• Finalist for the President’s Distinguished Research Achievement Award (2018) in Social Sciences at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).  

• Mathur, Ritu. 2012. “ Practices of Legalization in Arms Control & Disarmament.” Contemporary Security Policy33 (3): 1-24 , was selected for the International Studies Association Conference: An Editor’s Choice Collection, Contemporary Security Policy 2016 http://explore.tandfonline.com/page/pgas/fcsp-editors-choice-2016 ;

• Nominated for the International Studies Association- International Security Studies Section-Best Security Studies Article (2017) for article, “Sly Civility and the Paradox of Equality/Inequality in the Nuclear Order: A Post Colonial Critique”, Critical Studies on Security, Vol.2, No.1, 2016, pp. 57-72  http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21624887.2015.1106428 ;

• Nominated for the Bernard Brodie Prize (2014) for outstanding article, by Contemporary Security Policy for publication of research Article, “ ‘West & the Rest’ a Civilizational Mantra  in Arms Control & Disarmament,”Contemporary Security Policy, Vol.35, No.3, 2014, pp.332-355 

• Nominated for the Bernard Brodie Prize (2012) for outstanding article, by Contemporary Security Policy for publication of research Article, “ Practices of Legalization in Arms Control & Disarmament”, Contemporary Security Policy, Vo.33, No.3, 2012, pp. 1-24 

• Awarded the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship (2013) by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada. (10thrank out of 99 eligible reviewed applications, Amount: 70,000 CDN each year for 2 years)

Legal Written Notification

Pursuant to HOP 9.48, Carrying of Concealed Handguns on Campus, my private office (MS 4.03.55) is a designated exclusion zone. As set out in Section 30.06, Penal Code (trespass by license holder with a concealed handgun), a person licensed to carry a Concealed Handgun under Subchapter H, Chapter 411 Government Code (handgun licensing law), may not enter this property/office with a concealed handgun.

De conformidad con HOP 9.48, Llevar Armas de Fuego Encubiertas en el Campus, mi oficina privada (MS 4.03.55) es una zona designada de exclusión. Conforme a la sección 30.06 del código penal (trespasar portando armas de fuego) personas con licencia bajo del sub-capitulo H, capitulo 411, codigo de gobierno (ley de portar armas), no deben entrar a esta propiedad portando un arma de fuego.