▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁she ▁helped ▁to ▁create ▁the ▁multi - ▁and ▁inter - ▁discipl inary ▁them atic ▁discipline ▁of ▁development ▁studies ▁in ▁Oxford ▁Department ▁of ▁International ▁Development ; ▁and ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 - 7 ▁founded ▁Oxford ' s ▁Contempor ary ▁South ▁Asia ▁Program me . ▁She ▁has ▁developed ▁an ▁approach ▁to ▁the ▁understanding ▁of ▁Indian ▁rural ▁development ▁and ▁its ▁inform al ▁economy , ▁ground ed ▁in ▁political ▁economy ▁and ▁dec ades ▁of ▁what ▁the ▁economic ▁anth rop ologist ▁Pol ly ▁Hill ▁called ▁‘ field ▁econom ics ’ . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Harr iss - White ▁is ▁the ▁elder ▁of ▁two ▁daughters ▁of ▁British ▁merchant ▁mar iner ▁Philip ▁Be e ham ▁and ▁Australian ▁nur se ▁Betty ▁Brow ning . ▁She ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁London . ▁The ▁new ▁New st ead ▁Wood ▁School ▁launched ▁her ▁to ▁Cambridge ▁where ▁she ▁spent ▁ 1 3 ▁years . ▁After ▁reading ▁ge ography , ▁she ▁turned ▁to ▁agricult ural ▁science ▁and ▁agricult ural ▁econom ics ▁( and ▁d ab bled ▁in ▁political ▁journal ism , ▁music , ▁Al pine ▁and ▁H imal ay an ▁mount aine ering ). ▁The ▁ge ograph er ▁B . H . ▁Far mer ▁and ▁the ▁experience ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁of ▁driving ▁on ▁the ▁‘ over land ▁route ’ ▁from ▁Cambridge ▁to ▁New ▁Del hi ▁with ▁John ▁Harr iss ▁stim ulated ▁a ▁voc ation ▁for ▁India , ▁research ▁and ▁teaching . ▁ ▁Academ ic ▁life ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 7 2