A multi-country session, titled ‘Protecting Workers in Heat Action Plans’ hosted by The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard, The Harvard Center for African Studies’ Africa Office, and The Center for Labor and a Just Economy at Harvard Law School brought together experts from India, South Africa, and the United States to address the urgent intersections of labor, climate, and resilience.
John Weaver ‘26, a triple concentrator in History of Art and Architecture, South Asian Studies, and English, spent his summer in Pune, India, at the American Institute of Indian Studies Summer Sanskrit Language Program. This 8-week program consisted of Sanskrit courses and occasional cultural immersion outings. John shared more about his summer with us in the interview below.
In Nepal’s Koshi Province, climate change is worsening floods, droughts, and other threats to smallholder farmers. A new research project, “Documenting Women’s Leadership in Climate Resilience Building in Koshi Province, Nepal,” funded through the Mittal Institute’s inaugural faculty climate research grant program, seeks to capture how women-led organizations are driving grassroots adaptation efforts. Led by Vincenzo Bollettino, Director, Program on Resilient Communities at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative; Director, National NGO Program on Humanitarian Leadership and Patrick Vinck, Research Director, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative; Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the study uses interviews and focus groups to examine how women’s networks build resilience, the barriers they face, and their influence on local decision-making.
In Nepal’s Koshi Province, climate change is worsening floods, droughts, and other threats to smallholder farmers. A new research project, “Documenting Women’s Leadership in Climate Resilience Building in Koshi Province, Nepal,” funded through the Mittal Institute’s inaugural faculty climate research grant program, seeks to capture how women-led organizations are driving grassroots adaptation efforts. Led by Vincenzo Bollettino, Director, Program on Resilient Communities at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative; Director, National NGO Program on Humanitarian Leadership and Patrick Vinck, Research Director, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative; Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the study uses interviews and focus groups to examine how women’s networks build resilience, the barriers they face, and their influence on local decision-making.
Intersections Conference 2025: Traditions and Innovations in Indian Classical Dance is a September 27-28 conference at MIT and Harvard spotlighting U.S.-based Indian classical artists as innovators in movement, research, and pedagogy. Sessions will be centered on dialogue, debate, and professional development. The event, co-sponsored by the Mittal Institute, is organized by Prof. Haribabu Arthanari, president of MITHAS, Prof. Shriya Srinivasan, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering in the Harvard Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Dr. Joshua George, co-director of the Anubhava Dance Company. We spoke with Prof. Srinivasan, herself a professional dance artist, to learn more about the motivations behind the first-of-its-kind conference.
The State of Architecture in South Asia series opens its fall lineup with a talk exploring the costs of ‘free housing’ in Mumbai. Sai Balakrishnan, Associate Professor of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley, will examine the Adani Group’s acquisition of the contract to redevelop Dharavi, often described as “Asia’s largest slum,” and the most coveted asset in the redevelopment: air. She will be joined in conversation by Rahul Mehrotra, John T. Dunlop Professor in Housing and Urbanization, Harvard Graduate School of Design.
How can India turn waste and clean energy into fuel to fight air pollution? The answer may lie in biomass, says Michael B. McElroy, the Gilbert Butler Professor of Environmental Studies in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and the Harvard Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Prof. McElroy is one of the inaugural recipients of a Mittal Institute Faculty Climate Grant for his project, “Optimizing India’s Biofuel Capacity with Green Hydrogen Penetration: A Decarbonization and Emission Reduction Strategy.”
On July 11, the “One Harvard, Young Harvard” mixer brought an evening of dialogue and camaraderie to the Mittal Institute’s India Office, where incoming students, alumni, and University affiliates came together to strengthen the intergenerational ties at the heart of the Harvard community.
The Mittal Institute is excited to announce the release of the 2023–24 Year in Review and 2023–24 Arts Program reports. Like every year, the comprehensive Year in Review Report includes updates on all major faculty-led programs, lists awards and fellowships, highlights the work of students, student organizations, and scholars, and summarizes events and other achievements. The Arts Program Report highlights the incredible impact and accomplishments of the Mittal Institute’s various arts initiatives, which include fellowships, exhibitions, and events. Both reports offer valuable insights into the institute’s mission of connecting Harvard with South Asia.
From May 25 to June 30, 2025, the HUM SAB EK (We Are One) exhibition is on display at the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Its presence at this location is of particular salience to members of the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), whose stories of reliance and nurturance it captures, and to workers worldwide.
This spring, the Mittal Institute offered a variety of programming, from a reflection on the Mittal Institute’s 15-year journey connecting Harvard with South Asia, to critical conversations on building climate resilience, to a captivating presentation of the work of artist Naiza Khan. Below is a list of some not-to-be-missed event recordings – please visit our YouTube page for more.
As the summer approaches, the Mittal Institute extends a warm invitation to Harvard’s community to visit the India office in New Delhi. Whether using the office space to conduct research, participating in scholarly discussions, or immersing oneself in the vibrant academic milieu of the region, the office offers a unique opportunity to engage with South Asia’s rich cultural heritage and scholarly legacy. The office has planned several events that will connect Harvard with India’s intellectual scene. Come and be a part of it!