Swati studied law in India and practiced as an advocate in Indian courts. Her interest in the workings of International Trade Law brought her to England where she pursued her second Masters degree at the Brunel University in London. She subsequently qualified as a solicitor and practiced in the area of criminal law.
In 2016, Swati was awarded a PhD from the University of Manchester on her research entitled The Impact of International Trade in Healthcare Services under GATS on the Right to Health: A Study of Medical Tourism in India.
Research Interests
Swati is interested in areas and issues related to social justice, sustainable development and human rights, including the right to health and education as well as societal impact of international trade and economic globalisation. Swati is especially interested in examining the normative interplay and assessing the impact of trade liberalisation on human rights. More specifically, Swati focuses on the socio-legal implications of trade laws in the area of international trade in healthcare services (such as medical tourism, reproductive and wellness tourism) and the right to health. She has written papers on intellectual property rights in India, the socio-legal implications of reproductive tourism in India, as well as medical tourism and health equity.
Select Publications
S. Gola. “The Indian Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill 2020: Enforcing Gender Binarism?”, Academia Letters, Article 843, 2021. DOI.
S. Gola. “One Step Forward and One Step Back: Autonomy, Agency and Surrogates in the Indian Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill 2019”, International Journal of Law in Context, 1–17, 2021. DOI.
S. Gola. “Medical Tourism in India – In Whose Interest?.” Journal of International Trade Law and Policy 15, no. 2/3, 115–133, 2016.
S. Gola. “International Trade & Health Equity: Have Benefits of Medical Tourism ‘Trickled Down’ to India’s Poor?” Law, Social Justice and Global Development 19, no. 1, 2015.
S. Gola. “Reproductive Tourism in ‘Incredible India’: Socio- Ethical & Legal Side Effects of Market-Oriented Fertility Services.” Journal of Law Teachers of India 4, no. 40, 2013.
J. Coggon and S. Gola (eds). Global Health and International Community. Bloomsbury, 2013.
Select Conference Appearances
“One Step Forward or One Step Back? Autonomy, Agency and Surrogates in the Indian Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill 2019,” presented at 4th Faculty Seminar (Virtual) National Law University Delhi, January 2021.
“Right to Health in GATS: Can Public Health Exception Pave the Path for Complementarity?” 8th PEPA SIEL Conference, King’s College London, UK, 30-31 May 2019.
“Evidence, Adaptive Governance and Policy-Making in Medical Tourism in India,” 4th LASSnet International Conference, New Delhi, India, 10-12 December 2016.
“International Trade & Health Equity Have Benefits Of Medical Tourism ‘Trickled Down’ To India’s Poor?” The Law, Social Justice and Global Development Colloquium: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue on Social Justice, University of Warwick, UK, 30 June 2014.
“Medical Tourism in India: The Importance of Data Management and Analysis from a Public Health Perspective” MANREG Workshop, University of Manchester, UK, 4 May 2014.
“Reproductive Tourism in ‘Incredible India’: Are Overseas Patients Good for the Health of India’s Poor?” ATINER Conference, Greece, 8-11 July 2013.
Select Media Appearances
S. Gola, “Divine labours, devalued work: Response by Swati Gola“, Law & Other Things, 2021.
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