Kottayam/Kannur: Two assistant professors from Mahatma Gandhi University and Kannur University will lead a major European Research Council (ERC) research project in India. Dr Mathew A Varghese, School of International Relations and Politics, Mahatma Gandhi University and Dr Sunaina K, School of Behavioural Sciences, Kannur University have been appointed chief researchers and coordinators in India for the project titled ‘CRIMLIFE – Life-Course Trajectories to Crime Globally’. This international collaborative research is funded by the ERC with Rs. 1 crore. It runs for the period 2026–2030 and is led by Professor Sveinung Sandberg of University of Oslo.

Besides India, the project brings together research partners from Norway, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Nigeria and Colombia. It seeks to examine life-course trajectories linked to crime across diverse social and cultural contexts, combining comparative criminological research with life-story narratives.

The collaboration is a notable international recognition for the participating universities and for the growing global visibility of social science research from Kerala.