Lipon Mondal is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Dhaka. He holds a PhD in Sociology (2020) from Virginia Tech (USA), where he was among the top 10% of all doctoral students and became a life member of two of the most distinguished Honor Societies: Phi Kappa Phi and Golden Key International. He received a Master's degree in Sociology from the University of Dhaka, earning the first position in the first class (class size 185) and receiving the prestigious Nazmul Karim Memorial Gold Medal. He also earned a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of Dhaka, securing the first position in the first class (class size 198) and receiving the Dean's Award.

Research and Publications

Dr. Mondal's research focuses on global political economy, world-systems analysis, urban sociology, labor control/rights, and sociological theory. He has published his first book (edited volume) in 2025: Urban Regimes of Dispossession in the Global South: A New Debate. Editors: Lipon Mondal and David L. Brunsma, by Brill. This book offers a new theory of urban dispossession, and its arguments are built on a survey of the nearly two-hundred-year history of global dispossession studies and solid empirical evidence from three continents—Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and seven countries— Bangladesh, Brazil, Honduras, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, and Uganda.

Dr. Mondal has published over 15 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in his area of expertise. Notably, three of his recent articles have appeared in three top-notch journals: Urban Studies (SAGE), Journal of World-Systems Research (UofP/American Sociological Association), and International Journal of Comparative Sociology (SAGE). These articles advance three new theories in the field of global political economy, world-systems analysis, and urban sociology. Another recent article published in the Journal of Sociology has explored the problems and prospects of building sociological theory in the global south. Two of his recent book chapters (by University Press Limited & Routledge) have examined the question of land justice and urban issues and policies in Bangladesh. Another book chapter (by Brill) examines the violent logic of dispossession in Bangladesh. A few of his articles are currently under review with leading sociology journals.

Dr. Mondal's second book project is tentatively titled: "The Complete Path to Southern Capitalism: A Theory of Urban Transformation." This monograph examines how a capitalist society emerges, develops, functions, sustains itself, and experiences resistance in the Global South. The book's arguments draw on a diverse range of empirical and archival evidence from dozens of countries in the Global South, including Bangladesh.

Teaching and Community Services

Dr. Mondal's teaching interests include Introductory Sociology, Sociological Theory, Urban Sociology, Research Methods, Marxist Thought, Political Economy, Global Capitalism, Social Stratification, Global Studies, Global Apparel Industry, and Labor Rights/Movements. He has supervised six (6) MPhil and Master’s students’ theses, as well as more than 50 undergraduate (independent) research projects. He has taught over forty (40) sociology graduate and undergraduate courses at three leading universities: University of Dhaka, Virginia Tech, and Washington and Lee University.

Dr. Mondal serves national and international research communities by regularly reviewing articles from a dozen leading sociology and urban studies journals. He is actively engaged in various international professional organizations, including the American Sociological Association (ASA), the International Sociological Association (ISA), and the Southern Sociological Society (SSS).