Dr Bhakti is a Chairperson at the School of Design & Architecture, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) Dubai. She pursued her doctoral studies at the University of Salford, UK and has about three decades of experience in the industry and academia. Her research paper has received the CIOB best paper award for the most innovative research in 2015. She is the Head of the Centre for ESG and coordinator for the Manipal Environment and Conservation Students Club that received consecutive awards for Best Sustainable Green Campus Audit, Best Sustainability Action Project from Environment Agency Abu Dhabi and was awarded ‘Best Co-ordinator’ for commitment since 2015. Her area of research is net-zero buildings and has led Solar Decathlon ME 2021 and UNFCC Climate Action Plan for MAHE Dubai, and is a coordinator for the MAHE Dubai Seeding Sustainability program that has been shortlisted in the top 20 by MAJRA for the Sustainable Impact Challenge. She has published book on ‘Improving Inclusivity in Higher Education Addressing the Digital Divide in the COVID Pandemic’. Currently she volunteers for the Advancing Net Zero Volunteering team and the Universities Climate Network Group for Youth Engagement. Dr Bhakti has been an ambassador for ‘Women in Construction’, Big 5, Mentor for Emirates Green Building Council Women’s Network and Board Member for American Institute of Architects, Middle East.
