I research and teach in the field of museum and heritage studies with a focus on transcultural perspectives. Since April 2023, I am affiliated as an academic associate with the Team ‘Transcultural Studies’ at the Institute of Art History of HHU, with responsibilities of teaching and support in coordination for the bachelors study programme in ‘Transcultural Studies’. I am also part of the team for the ERC-funded research project ‘Machinery Rooms of the Mediterranean: Images and Visual Archives of Movement and Acceleration, 1800-present’ at HHU.

The strength of my research lies in its interdisciplinarity, combining approaches from disciplines, such as archaeology, art history, history, public history, heritage and museum studies. My key research interests include railway heritage, industrial heritage and infrastructure histories. The proliferation of new infrastructure and ensuing mobilities in the late 19^th-early 20^th century and their impacts in the colonial and postcolonial contexts forms the core of my research. With a strong orientation towards critical heritage studies, I am interested in exploring the questions of how heritage is defined and the notions of agency, performance, meaning-making and negotiations that are entangled with the discourse and practice of heritage management and conservation, so also the relationship between people and heritage and people-centred approaches.

I have worked in the field of heritage conservation on various projects, like the world heritage nominations, site management plans, cultural significance and impact assessment reports as well as visitor surveys and tourism management plans. I have also been engaged in research on museums within the context of decolonial approaches and particularly keen to facilitate trainings in museum and heritage conservation and education.

Education

2022 PhD; Heritage Conservation, Brandenburg University of Technology, Cottbus-Senftenberg, Germany

2011 Diploma; Tourism Studies, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, India

2009 Master of Arts; Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology at Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, Pune, India

2007 Bachelor of Arts; History; Mumbai University, India

 

Work and Research Experience

2023–present Academic Associate, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf

Research Project: Railway Stations and Heritage-making in the Mediterranean

2022 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 4A Laboratory: Art Histories, Archaeologies, Anthropologies, Aesthetics, Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz (KHI) – Max-Planck Institute | Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz and DFG Research Training Group 1913, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg

Collaborative Project: Decolonising Museum Narratives: A Comparative Study

2021 Research Assistant (teaching), Chair Art History, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg

2017–2020 Research Associate, Chair for Architectural Conservation, DFG Research Training Group 1913 "Cultural and Technological Significance of Historic Buildings", Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg

PhD Research Project: Heritage Biography of a Railway Station: Story of Victoria Terminus, now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai

2016–2017 Humboldt German Chancellor Fellow, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg

Research Project: Towards Sustainable Future: People-centered Approach to Cultural Heritage Conservation

2015–2016 Nehru-Fulbright Academic & Professional Excellence Fellow, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA

Research Project: Communicating the Meaning & Values of Archaeological Heritage: Adopting New Strategies for Heritage Education in India

2013–2014 The Asiatic Society of Mumbai Junior Research Fellow in Social Sciences

Research Project: Protection of Rail Heritage in India: Challenges and Opportunities

2009–2013 Professional experience with a conservation office in Mumbai (Development of Nomination Dossiers, Site Management Plans, Conservation Reports, Impact Assessments, Visitor Surveys, Analysis & Profile Studies, Tourism Management Plans etc.)

2006–2017 Heritage Walks & Education Projects in Mumbai for students, tourists and citizens

2019–present Various trainings in heritage conservation and education

 

Teaching Experience

2023-24 Seminars (2 SWS) for Bachelor’s Course Transkulturalität, Chair Art History / Professor of Transcultural Studies, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf

• Theorien der Transkulturalität
• Museen als (de)koloniale Räume
• Phänomene der Transkulturalität
• World Heritage: Universal or Transcultural?

2022 Study project (4 SWS) for Master’s Course World Heritage Studies / Heritage Conservation and Site Management, Chair Architectural Conservation, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (assistance)

• International Heritage Cultures: The Netherlands

2020-22 Seminars (4 SWS) for Master’s Course World Heritage Studies / Heritage Conservation and Site Management, Chair Art History, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (co-teaching)

• Decolonising the Museum
• Applied Art History and Museology (online)
• Spaces of the Digital Museum
• Dismantling the Mausoleum: Museum Critique and Museum Utopias

Bhatawadekar, Shraddha (2024): The Image of Railway Architecture in Nineteenth Century Bombay: Processes and Politics of Representation at Victoria Terminus. In: Egbers, Vera et al. (Eds.): Architectures of Colonialism: Constructed Histories, Conflicting Memories, Basel/Berlin 2024. Forthcoming.

Bhatawadekar, Shraddha (2023): Transport and Communication as Symbols of Modernity in India: A Cultural Perspective. In: Muhidine, Éléonore (Ed.): Indian Architecture in Postcards: A New Perspective on a Modern Heritage, Bielefeld 2023, pp. 107–128.

Bhatawadekar, Shraddha / Pande, Mrinal (2022): Rethinking Urban Heritage Tourism Practices in India:  Critical Perspectives from Europe. In: Chowdhary, Nimit / Billa, Suman / Tiwari, Pinaz (Eds.): Indian Tourism: Diaspora Perspective. Bringley 2022, pp. 111–124.

Bhatawadekar, Shraddha (2021): As Heritage becomes World Heritage: Current Processes of Heritagisation at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai. In: Ess, Julia et al. (Eds.): WerteWandel. Prozesse, Strategien und Konflikte in der gebauten Umwelt, Basel/Berlin 2021, pp. 147–158.

Bhatawadekar, Shraddha (2018): Protection of Rail Heritage in India: Challenges & Opportunities. In: Jamkhedkar A.P. / Aiyer, Indira / Khare, Ambarish (Eds.): Journal of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, Volume 88 for 2014–2015, Mumbai 2018, pp. 1–16.

Bhatawadekar, Shraddha (2018): Tourism Development at Railway Stations – A Case of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai. In: TICCIH XVII International Congress Proceedings, Santiago, Chile 2018, pp. 891–896.

Bhatawadekar, Shraddha / Adhikari, Tejaswini (2018): Railway Heritage and Identity. Interpreting Railways as ‘Third Places’ – A Case of Mumbai. In: Interpret Europe Conference Proceedings, Witzenhausen 2018, pp. 14–21.

Bhatawadekar, Shraddha (2017): Popular Perceptions of Railway Heritage. A Case of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai. In: Manatunga, Anura (Ed.): History of Land Transportation, Locomotive Heritage and Road Culture of South Asia, International Conference Proceedings Centre for Heritage Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri-Lanka 2017, pp. 195–208.

Bhatawadekar, Shraddha (2017): Heritage Walks: A first step in urban heritage activism in Mumbai. In: Lee, Rachel / Barbé, Diane / Fenk, Anne-Kathrin / Misselwitz, Philipp (Eds.): Things Don’t Really Exist Until You Give Them a Name: Unpacking Urban Heritage, Dar-es-Salaam 2017, pp. 302–309.

Bhatawadekar, Shraddha (2017): People-centered Approach to Cultural Heritage Conservation: Challenges & Opportunities, Case of Caves of Mumbai. In: Vileikis, Ona (Ed.): World Heritage Theory, Policy and Practice International Conference Proceedings. Cottbus: International Association of World Heritage Professionals e.V., Cottbus 2017, pp. 238–254.

Bhatawadekar, Shraddha (2017): ‘Heritage walks as a tool for engaging youth in heritage’. In: encatcSCHOLAR for lifelong learning on policies and cultural management, issue#7. European Network on Cultural Management and Cultural Policy Education (ENCATC). blogs.encatc.org/encatcscholar/

Bhatawadekar, Shraddha / Yedurkar, Chinmay (2016): Role of Heritage Education in Cultural Heritage Conservation’. In: Macchia, Andrea et al. (Eds.): YOCOCU 2014: Professionals’ Experiences in Cultural Heritage Conservation in America, Europe, and Asia, Cambridge 2016, pp. 9–18.

Bhatawadekar, Shraddha (2014): Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus: Values, Significance & Tourism. In: Marwah, Jyoti / Bhambi, Rita (Eds.): Heritage Tourism: Marketing Legacy, Delhi 2014, pp. 78–93.

Bhatawadekar, Shraddha (2014): A Legacy That Defines Mumbai: The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. In: Maharashtra Unlimited, Volume 3, Issue 3, Pune 2014, pp. 48–53.