MANCHESTER, England (Diya TV) — Anindya Majhi, a Geography researcher of Indian origin at The University of Manchester, has been awarded the prestigious Research Fellowship by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851—a rare honor for a geographer in a program traditionally dominated by science and engineering disciplines.
The fellowship, which dates back to 1891, is one of the most competitive early-career research grants in the United Kingdom. Each year, the Royal Commission selects just eight to nine fellows from a global pool of approximately 350 applicants. Past recipients of the award include renowned Nobel Laureates such as Peter Higgs and Ernest Rutherford. According to a press release from The University of Manchester, Majhi’s selection underscores both the groundbreaking nature of his work and his promise as a future leader in environmental science.
“I am thrilled to have been elected as a Science and Engineering Research Fellow by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851,” Majhi said. “The fellowship competition is global in nature, and I’m thoroughly elated to be joining the ranks of previous recipients who have made such lasting contributions to science.”
Majhi, who recently completed his Ph.D. at The University of Manchester, focused his doctoral research on gully erosion in India—an often-overlooked but highly damaging form of land degradation. Working under the guidance of Dr. Angela Harris, Professor Martin Evans, and Dr. Emma Shuttleworth, he successfully defended his dissertation with minor corrections. His upcoming research at University College London (UCL) will expand on this work, examining the global impacts of gully erosion on soils and landscapes.
“This award provides me with an exciting opportunity to continue working on gully erosion, which is arguably the most damaging yet overlooked form of land degradation on our planet,” Majhi said. “Having explored India’s gully erosion phenomenon in depth for my doctoral degree, I will now attempt to uncover how gully erosion impacts global soils and landscapes.”
Majhi’s academic journey began in Kolkata, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from Presidency University in 2017. He followed that with a postgraduate diploma in Applied Remote Sensing and GIS from Jadavpur University in 2018. In 2020, he completed a joint MSc in Physical Land Resources, specializing in Soil Science, from Ghent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
His work has already had a significant impact on the field of geomorphology. Dr. Emma Shuttleworth, one of his Ph.D. advisors, praised his dedication and vision. “He has worked exceptionally hard throughout his Ph.D.—an ambitious piece of work that has significantly advanced our understanding of gully erosion in India,” she said. “He is already a leading expert on gully erosion, and I do not doubt that he will become a highly influential geomorphologist and soil scientist as his career progresses.”
The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 was originally established under the presidency of Prince Albert to organize the Great Exhibition. It has since evolved into a philanthropic foundation focused on advancing industrial education and promoting the influence of science and art on productive industry. Its fellowships and scholarships are designed to empower early-career scientists and engineers to pursue independent research of exceptional promise.
