2023 Annual Cambridge Symposium
The Mittal Institute’s 2023 Annual Cambridge Symposium took place on May 5, 2023, and convened faculty, staff, and the public for a lively discussion on climate, health and culture’s role in building a more resilient South Asia.
Read a round-up of the conference and watch the recordings here.
Panel I: Climate Change, Gender, and Labor: A Conversation with Reema Nanavaty
The day opened with Harvard professor Maya Jasanoff in conversation with Reema Nanavaty of SEWA, discussing working on the ground with women in marginalized communities in the region.
Panel I Speakers
- Moderator: Maya Jasanoff, X.D. and Nancy Yang Professor and Coolidge Professor of History, Harvard University
- Reema Nanavaty, Director, SEWA
- Sakhiben Khengarbhai Ahir, Young Grassroot Leader, SEWA
Panel II: Pathways toward Universal Health Coverage: Perspectives from the Lancet Citizens’ Commission (LCC) for Reimagining India’s Health System
The next panel, “Pathways Towards Universal Health Coverage,” featured Prof. Vikram Patel of Harvard Medical School and the Lancet Citizens’ Commission, who presented research on ways to achieve universal health coverage in India with leading experts.
Panel II Speakers
- Moderator: Vikram Patel, Co-Chair, LCC; Pershing Square Professor of Global Health, Harvard Medical School
- Sapna Desai, Commissioner, LCC; Associate, Population Council
- Siddhesh Zadey, LCC
- Atul Gupta, Assistant Professor of Health Care Management, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
- Anuska Kalita, Senior Fellow, LCC; Visiting Scientist and Health Systems Specialist, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
- Tarun Khanna, Co-Chair, LCC; Faculty Director, LMSAI; Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor, Harvard Business School
Panel III: Advancing Ideas on South Asia: Mittal Institute Students + Scholars
Parimal Patil, chair of Harvard’s South Asian Studies department, moderated the third panel, the “panel of the future,” which highlighted young scholars who are working at the forefront of a wide range of scholarship on South Asia.
Panel III Speakers
- Moderator: Hitesh Hathi, Executive Director, LMSAI
- Ajmalkhan Areethala, Raghunathan Family Fellow, LMSAI
- Gauri Nagpal, Seed for Change 2022 India Winner; GSD ’23
- Kheya Melo Furtado, Jamnalal Kaniram Bajaj Fellow, LMSAI
- Mariam Zia, Syed Babar Ali Fellow, LMSAI
Panel IV: Artistic Expression in Afghanistan: Perspectives from Scholars at Risk
The final panel gathered an artist, activist, and academic to explore their perspectives on fleeing their homeland of Afghanistan. Moderated by Homi Bhaba, Anne F. Rothenberg Professor of the Humanities, the panel probed the ideas of loss, risk, triumph, and what each has sacrificed since the Taliban returned to power.
Panel IV Speakers
- Moderator: Homi Bhabha, Anne F. Rothenberg Professor of the Humanities, Harvard University
- Homeira Qaderi, writer, activist and educator
- Omaid Sharifi, President, ArtLords and Wartists
- Samiullah Nabipour, former Dean of Fine Arts, Kabul University