Category : In Region

In Pakistan, a Stitch in Time Saves Nine

Jul 11, 2019 | Announcements, In Region, News, Pakistan

The rural community of Pind Begwal, Pakistan, lies just 20 miles from the capital city of Islamabad. But throughout the community, medical infrastructure remains limited, only assuaged by a small, dilapidated health center that suffers from regular doctor absenteeism. Last year, a team by the name of Saving 9 participated in the Mittal Institute’s Seed for Change competition, earning a grant to help launch their Community Aid and Response in Emergencies (CARE) project in Pind Begwal. In September 2018, the team launched the program, their goal to create a robust system that would provide emergency medical treatment to a community that has limited access to healthcare.

Electrifying Rural India with Solar Energy

Jul 10, 2019 | Alumni, Announcements, In Region, India, News, Students

In 1979, an organization named Gram Vikas emerged in Odisha with the goal of supporting marginalized communities in India — from providing cleaner ways to access water and sanitation, to the construction of schools and renewable energy sources. Today, Gram Vikas is working on a project to revive a solar micro-grid in Maligaon that had broken down in 2013 after its power source became depleted. Without improvement of the micro-grid, electricity in the community is unstable, and blackouts can last months at a time. Eshaan Patheria, a Harvard College ’18 alumnus, joined the organization as an SBI Youth for India Fellow in 2018, and now oversees the micro-grid renewal project in Maligaon. In partnership with the local community, Patheria’s team is using modern technologies to improve quality of life throughout the district.

Podcast: The History of Hinduism in Nepal

Jul 9, 2019 | Announcements, Faculty, Nepal, News

Over 80% of Nepal’s population identifies as Hindu — a religion that has been practiced in the nation for hundreds of years. Click play above to listen to our latest podcast featuring Axel Michaels from Heidelberg University in a fascinating lecture on Hindu ritual in Nepal, entitled “The Meaning of the Meaninglessness of Rituals.”

2019 Student Summer Grants

Jun 27, 2019 | Announcements, In Region, News, Students

The Mittal Institute offers a variety of learning opportunities in South Asia for Harvard students through its grants program. Undergraduate and graduate students are invited to apply for research grants to support independent research and thesis field work. The Mittal Institute has partnered with over 50 organizations in South Asia to offer internships to Harvard students. Here are this year’s summer grant recipients.

New Digital Book: Science & South Asia

Jun 21, 2019 | Announcements, Associates, Faculty, In Region, News

The Mittal Institute has curated its latest publication that explores scientific developments in South Asia, bringing together papers written by Harvard faculty and conservators, as well as faculty and experts from across the US and South Asia. The publication is now available digitally and covers a vast array of topics, from healthcare in India to the new, sophisticated technology behind art conservation. You can access the Science & South Asia publication by clicking the button below.

Gramhal: Breaking the Cycle of Debt for India’s Farmers

Jun 13, 2019 | Announcements, In Region, India, News, Students

Every 30 minutes, a farmer in India commits suicide. That haunting fact is the inspiration behind a new social enterprise and digital platform called Gramhal, which will streamline the work of smallholder farmers in India, while increasing their income. Co-founders Vikas Birhma, originally from a village in Northern India, and Pankaj Mahalle, from a small village in Central India, met and became friends at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai. “We both had lived experiences of agrarian hardships and poverty, which became a strong undercurrent of our friendship,” Birhma said.

Podcast: Art in South Asia

Jun 13, 2019 | Announcements, Arts Program, Fellows, In Region, News

In our first episode of our Art in South Asia podcast series, we sat down with Sneha Shrestha, the Mittal Institute’s Arts Program Manager, to learn more about the meaning behind her Nepali-inspired work, the most exciting art piece she’s ever worked on, and the Visiting Artist Fellowship, which brings artists from South Asia to the Mittal Institute to perform research and utilize Harvard’s resources.

The Mittal Institute’s 2018-2019 Year In Review

Jun 7, 2019 | Announcements, In Region, News

Read our 2018-2019 Year In Review, now available digitally, to learn about the recent developments in the Mittal Institute’s programs, projects, research, events, and more!

Hildreth, Mirza, Bhutto: Reflections on Pakistan’s 1950s Politics

May 31, 2019 | Announcements, Associates, Fellows, In Region, News, Pakistan

In a recent paper, Professor Ian Talbot, a 2018 Mittal Institute Visiting Fellow and Professor at the University of Southampton, delved into the precarious politics of Pakistan’s formative years in the 1950s. Below is an excerpt from the paper; click the link within this post to view the paper in its entirety.

Meet: Rebuilding Trust in India’s Job Market

May 28, 2019 | Announcements, Faculty, In Region, India, News, Students

“The pathway from education to employment for Indian youth is, simply put, failing them,” says Vish Srivastava, co-founder of India’s newest employment app, Meet. Alongside co-founder Ankit Chugh, the two have built a platform to address the difficulties that India’s job market presents, with 30% of Indians aged 15-29 either unemployed or not enrolled in an educational institution or skills training program.

Transforming Mumbai’s Indigenous Settlement Infrastructure

May 17, 2019 | Announcements, Faculty, India, News, Students

Over the Spring semester, Professor Rahul Mehrotra of the Harvard Graduate School of Design challenged his students in an Option Studio to examine the sanitation infrastructure of Mumbai. They were given one ultimate goal: to build a wide-ranging strategy that would upgrade the indigenous settlements of the Koli or fishing community and integrate them into the broader urban system through sanitation infrastructure.

We’re Hiring! Communications Manager: New Delhi Office

May 14, 2019 | Announcements, In Region, India, News

The Mittal Institute engages in interdisciplinary research to advance and deepen the understanding of critical issues in South Asia and the region’s relationship with the world. It holds regular events on issues relating to South Asia; offers fellowships and grants to further the study of the South Asian region; produces research and programs on social, economic, scientific, and political issues in South Asia; and much more. We are seeking a Communications Manager to handle content, communications, press relations, and event outreach in our New Delhi office.