As the days grow colder this winter season, it’s the perfect time to settle in with a great read. Explore our latest reading recommendations—there’s something here for every kind of reader. We hope they spark inspiration for your own winter reading. Enjoy!
Tresa Abraham, a cultural historian of colonial South Asia with a foundation in literary studies, is the Mittal Institute’s newest Raghunathan Family Fellow. Tresa’s research focus is on the use of wild animals in power negotiations in colonial India. Trained in English literary studies, she approaches the colonial past with a literary lens, weaving together histories of animals, humans, and the empire. We spoke with Tresa about her research, and what she hopes to focus on during her fellowship at Harvard.
The Mittal Institute concludes its fall event lineup with “Colonial Surveillance in Asia,” a December 19 seminar that will explore the persistence and evolution of colonial surveillance in Asia. We spoke with P. Arun, Mittal Institute India Fellow, who previewed the conference and gave some insights into colonial surveillance practices in South Asia.
Tresa Abraham, a cultural historian of colonial South Asia with a foundation in literary studies, is the Mittal Institute’s newest Raghunathan Family Fellow. Tresa’s research focus is on the use of wild animals in power negotiations in colonial India. Trained in English literary studies, she approaches the colonial past with a literary lens, weaving together histories of animals, humans, and the empire. We spoke with Tresa about her research, and what she hopes to focus on during her fellowship at Harvard.
Harvard offers a wide array of courses on South Asia, ranging from language to history, politics, economics, religion, and much more. Check out a selection of what is offered during Spring 2026. Please refer to the Course Catalog for the most up-to-date information. We will continue to add to this list as we hear about more courses.
In “From smoke to Science,” Prof. David Shumway Jones explores how history, science, and public health together reveal new ways to understand and combat air pollution today
As heatwaves intensify and rainfall patterns shift, the effects of climate change in South Asia are no longer confined to the environment; they’re reshaping lives in deeply personal ways. A new India Development Review article, “In Tamil Nadu, Climate Extremes Are Reshaping Maternal Well-being,” by Mittal Institute Associate Dr. Saravanan Thangarajan explores how these environmental stresses are affecting maternal mental health across India. The research, supported by the Mittal Institute and building upon collaborations from Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, offers powerful insights into the intersection of climate, health, and gender. Dr. Thangarajan, a Visiting Scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Ariadne Labs, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, gave us an introduction to his article and shared some images from his fieldwork in Tamil Nadu.
Rising temperatures are pushing Indian cities to the limits of human comfort, with residents in rooftop rooms particularly affected by extreme heat trapped under concrete roofs. To address these challenges, the project “Ultra-Low Cost Solutions for Overheating and Sleep
Disruption in South Asian Homes” was initiated with support from a Mittal Institute Faculty Research grant.
Researchers supported by a Mittal Institute grant and affiliated with the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability argue that protecting workers across the Global South from hazardous heat must not stop when they leave the job, as many low-wage workers return to homes that stay dangerously hot overnight. Their work was published in the BMJ and featured in an article by the Salata Institute.
International students make up more than a quarter of Harvard’s community, and many arrive searching for a sense of belonging. To help create that connection, Thomas Elliott, Programs and Administrative Coordinator at the Mittal Institute, is launching “International Tea”—a new gathering designed to bring students together and foster community. The first tea will be held on October 22nd and is open to invited Graduate Students and Fellows from regional centers. We spoke with Thomas about how this initiative came to life and what he hopes it will offer.
The Mittal Institute is delighted to welcome Rose Sebastian—a researcher with longtime interests in cultural studies, critical museum studies, and modern India—as the Mittal Institute’s Jamnalal Kaniram Bajaj Fellow. She is also a fellow with the Harvard Kennedy School’s Program on Science, Technology, and Society. Rose spoke with the Mittal Institute about her postdoctoral research project, where she is exploring science museums in post-independence India.
Nepal is acutely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, grappling with rising temperatures and an increasing frequency of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and landslides. These environmental stresses pose significant threats not only to infrastructure and livelihoods, but also to cultural heritage, biodiversity, and long-term habitability. To better understand the human dimensions of this crisis, Professor Eugene Richardson, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is leading a research project that examines how local communities in Nepal perceive climate risks. His project, “Climate Change, Loss and Damage, and Habitability in Nepal,” is one of the inaugural recipients of the Mittal Institute’s new Faculty Climate Grant program.