Another Feather In Oxford Topper Baisali’s Cap: Odia Girl Appointed UN Policy Officer

Bhubaneswar: Baisali Mohanty has done Odisha proud again.

Baisali, who won the prestigious High Profile Achievement Award for best graduate student at Oxford University, has now been appointed United Nations (UN) Policy Officer. She took charge on July 1.

Daughter of eminent woman activist & author Manasi Pradhan and ex-chief engineer & IIT alumnus Radha Binod Mohanty, Baisali earned her Master’s Degree in International Studies from Oxford University in 2016 and was selected to join the prestigious International Civil Service of United Nations.

From 2018, Baisali has been serving as OIM Officer in the UN Mission for Rohingyas at Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. Over 10 lakh Rohingya refugees are being taken care of by the United Nations in the world’s largest refugee camp at the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.

Born in Puri, Baisali did her schooling from Blessed Sacrament High School in the temple town and KIIT International School in Bhubaneswar. She completed her graduation from Lady Shriram College, Delhi, before pursuing Master’s Degree at Oxford University, where she wrote her dissertation on nuclear diplomacy.

She has been writing on foreign policy and security issues regularly in reputed international publications like Forbes, Huffington Post and Diplomat and Open Democracy, London.

The multi-talented Baisali is an accomplished Odissi dancer too. She founded the Oxford Odissi Centre which promotes and trains Odissi at the Oxford University and some other top universities in England.