Prof. Abdul Aziz had all his education in the Mysore University and is a Gold Medalist. He is currently Chair Professor, Religious Minorities Chair, National Law School of India University, Bangalore. Earlier, he held the ICSSR National Fellowship, NLSIU, Bangalore, and worked in Shriram Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources, New Delhi, taught Economics at Mysore University and headed the Economics Unit in the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore. Dr. Aziz has been a UGC Visiting Professor at Madurai-Kamaraj University, Madurai, Consultant with the Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad, Honorary Visiting Professor at ISEC, Bangalore and D M Nanjundappa Chair Professor at the Center for Multi-Disciplinary research, Dharwar.

Dr. Aziz has successfully guided 15 doctoral students, directed several research projects and organized national and international seminars, workshops and training programs. It may be of interest to mention that the Presidents, Vice-Presidents and members of the Zilla Panchayats of Karnataka were trained under his leadership during 1995-96.

Prof. Aziz specializes in Labour Economics, Rural Development, and Decentralized Governance and Planning. In these areas of his interest he has published several research papers in Indian and foreign professional journals, and authored 27 research-based books which include half a dozen edited volumes and co-authored works.

Besides, he has been associating himself as an expert member of academic and government bodies. He has served as a member of (i) the Syndicate, Kannada University, Hampi, (ii) the Academic Council, Gandhigram Rural Institute, Tamil Nadu, (iii) Board of Governors, I.S.E.C., (iv) the Committee on Fee-structure in Professional Colleges in Karnataka, (v) the Karnataka State Finance Commission, (vi) the High Power Committee for Redressal of Regional Imbalances in Karnataka, (vii) the Karnataka State Planning Board, (viii) the Karnataka State Minorities Commission, (ix) the Committee for Implementing the Recommendations of D. M. Nanjundappa Committee, (x) the Karnataka Government Results Framework Documents Committees on Education, and Planning and Finance, (xi) Working Group on Strengthening District Planning Committee, (xii) Task Force on Strengthening Panchayat Raj Institutions in Karnataka and (xiii) Member, Expert Group in respect of Caste Census in Karnataka, Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission.

He has travelled abroad both in the East and the West delivering lectures and presenting seminars. He has also worked as a Consultant to World Bank, SIDA, HIVOS, DFID and to a Bangalore-based multi-national company handling research projects and training programs based in India on behalf of these organizations.

He was recently conferred the life time achievements award by Christ University, Bangalore, the Kempe Gowda Zonal Award by the Bangalore City Corporation, and the Karnataka Rajyothsava Award, 2015 by the Government of Karnataka.

Prof. Aziz has to his credit writings in Kannada. He has edited a book on Karnataka Arthikate under the auspicious of Kannada University, Hampi where he served as a member of the Syndicate. He has contributed several articles to Kannada Encyclopedia brought out by Mysore University, Papers to a journal Prabuddha Karnataka, Mysore University and to Kannada daily newspapers such as Prajavani, Vijaya Karnataka, Vijaya Vani and the like. He is an articulate speaker and has been delivering invited lectures in Kannada on economic and social issues. It may be of interest to know that he trained the first batch of Presidents, Vice-presidents and members of Zilla Panchayat using the medium of Kannada.

Email: abdulaziz(at)isec(dot)ac(dot)in