Rajesh Palia joined as a direct exchange student for the Summer Semester 2026 and is hosted by Philipp Bach. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Economics at the University of Hyderabad and previously worked as a consultant at the Indian School of Business. His research focuses on urban economics and health economics, where he primarily uses panel data analysis.

His visit is part of the Student Exchange Agreement between the University of Hyderabad and Freie Universität Berlin, which aims to strengthen academic collaboration between the two institutions. During his stay, he looks forward to collaborating on research projects and exchanging ideas, particularly on applying machine learning to policy-relevant economic questions.