This summer, the Mittal Institute’s New Delhi office hosted a series of impactful events and visits, fostering intellectual engagement, artistic exploration, and dialogue on critical issues across various fields.
Events: Navigating Change in Higher Education and Interwoven Ecosystems in Art
Among the event highlights was “Navigating Change and Innovation in Indian Higher Education,” a panel discussion chaired and moderated by Tarun Khanna, Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor at Harvard Business School and Director of the Mittal Institute. It brought together thought leaders to discuss the transformative shifts in India’s educational framework and offered actionable insights to steer the future of education in India towards inclusivity and excellence.
Photos, clockwise from left: Tarun Khanna speaks at the panel on July 31, 2024; Panelists (from left to right) Tarun Khanna, C. Raj Kumar, K. Vijayraghavan, Shamika Ravi, and V. Ramgopal Rao; the crowd at the event.
Equally captivating was the art exhibition “Interwoven Ecosystems,” a collaborative initiative with the American Center New Delhi and Anant Art. The exhibition featured the works of Dhara Mehrotra and Paribartana Mohanty, both alumni of the Mittal Institute’s Visiting Artist Fellowship. The exhibition explored the relationship between human well-being and the environment. The launch event on August 2 was graced by Radhika Chopra, member of the Mittal Institute’s Arts Advisory Council; Kathleen Fox, Regional Public Engagement Specialist, South Asia, U.S. Embassy; Hitesh Hathi, Executive Director of the Mittal Institute; and Vishal Khandelwal, Assistant Professor of History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University.
Photos, left to right: Paribartana Mohanty (left) and Kathleen Fox (right) during the exhibition walk through; A group chat at the launch, (from left to right) Radhika Chopra, Tariq Alana, Atul Bhalla, Manuela Ciotti, and Hitesh Hathi; Dhara Mehrotra (right) speaks to attendees.
Scholarly Dialogues: Exploring Elections, Ethics, and Climate
The summer also featured a range of scholarly discussions that delved into the complexities of politics, ethics, and climate science. The session on “Indian Elections and After,” chaired and moderated by Ashutosh Varshney, Director of the Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia at Brown University, brought together experts who provided a critical analysis of India’s 18th national elections, raising important questions about the shifting political dynamics in India.
Panelists (from left to right): Ashutosh Varshney, Yogendra Yadav, Yamini Aiyar, Niraja Jayal, Asim Ali, and Neelanjan Sircar.
The two-part series “Heatwaves 101” addressed one of the most pressing issues of our time: the impact of extreme heat on public health and labor productivity, especially in South Asia. The discussions, moderated by Satchit Balsari, Associate Professor in Emergency Medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-leader of the Mittal Institute Climate Platform, were grounded in the latest scientific research and focused on the need for robust policy responses to protect vulnerable populations from the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves.
Left image: “Heatwaves 101 | Part 1: The Science of Extreme Heat” session on July 18, 2024. (Clockwise from the top) Aditya Pillai, Akhil Srivastava, Ronita Bardhan, and Satchit Balsari. Right image: “Heatwaves 101 |Part 2: Understanding the Impact of Extreme Heat” session on July 25, 2024. (Clockwise from the top) Vidhya Venugopal, Kathy Baughman McLeod, Robert D. Meade, and Satchit Balsari.
“Another Sort of Freedom: Book Talk with Gurcharan Das” offered a different kind of reflection with author, Gurcharan Das, who discussed his memoir that intertwines personal anecdotes with broader philosophical questions. Moderated by Hitesh Hathi, Mittal Institute’s Executive Director, the talk provided an intimate look into the life of a man searching for meaning beyond the material successes of life.
Gurcharan Das (left) and Hitesh Hathi (right) at the “Another Sort of Freedom: Book Talk with Gurcharan Das” on June 12, 2024.
At the “Revisiting Shastraic Reasoning” session, Francis X. Clooney, Parkman Professor of Divinity and Professor of Comparative Theology at Harvard Divinity School, discussed his paper “Mīmāṃsā, Vedānta, and the Case of Śūdras: Is there a Role for Śāstraic Reasoning in Contemporary Hindu Ethics?” with experts, and highlighted the relevance of classical thought in addressing modern ethical dilemmas, particularly in the context of inclusivity and social justice.
“Revisiting Shastraic Reasoning: The Contribution of Mimamsa and Vedanta to a Contemporary Hindu Ethics” session on August 28, 2024. (Clockwise from the top) Francis X. Clooney, Patrick Olivelle, Ananya Vajpeyi, and Monika Setia.
Connecting Communities: A Summer of Networking and New Beginnings
The summer was also a time for strengthening connections within the Harvard community. The “Harvard New Students and Alumni Reception” brought together over 100 participants, creating a vibrant space for networking and fostering relationships between incoming students and alumni. This event was graced by Laxmi Priya, IAS, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Government of Assam, and Radhika Chopra, a member of the Mittal Institute’s Arts Advisory Council, who shared their experiences of their time at Harvard.
Top image: “Harvard New Students and Alumni Reception” on July 31, 2024. (From left to right) Hitesh Hathi, Tarun Khanna, Laxmi Priya, and Radhika Chopra. Bottom image: Attendees at the reception.
Visits from notable figures like K. “Vish” Viswanath, Lee Kum Kee Professor of Health Communication at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Director of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health India Research Center, and Hitesh Hathi with his wife Rachael Burger, enriched the summer with insights on health communication and leadership.
Left photo: K. “Vish” Viswanath at the Delhi office. Right photo: Hitesh Hathi and his wife Rachael Burger with the Delhi office team and India Fellows during their visit to the country.
Looking Forward: Continuing the Momentum
This season’s activities reflect the Mittal Institute’s New Delhi office’s commitment to fostering intellectual engagement and community building. As we begin with a fresh semester, the Mittal Institute invites the Harvard community to explore the opportunities at its New Delhi office. Whether you’re conducting research, engaging in scholarly dialogues, or experiencing the region’s vibrant academic environment, the office provides a unique platform to collaboration and exploration, addressing contemporary challenges with thought leadership and creativity in South Asia. Several events are planned to strengthen Harvard’s ties with South Asia’s intellectual landscape. Don’t miss the chance to be involved!