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Announcing the 2021 Seed for Change Competition

Jan 11, 2021 | Announcements, In Region, News, Students

Announcing the 2021 Seed for Change Competition

The Seed for Change (SFC) competition aims to develop a vibrant ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in India and Pakistan through an annual competition run by the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard University. Grant prizes will be awarded to interdisciplinary student projects that positively impact societal, economic, and environmental issues in India and Pakistan. Applications for the 2021 cycle must be submitted by February 26, 2021.

The Mittal Institute’s Winter 2020 Student Grant Recipients

Jan 7, 2021 | Announcements, In Region, News, Students

The Mittal Institute’s Winter 2020 Student Grant Recipients

Each semester, the Mittal Institute offers grants to Harvard students to further their research, language study, or internship opportunities. This semester, 14 students were awarded grants to carry out projects during the 2021 Wintersession, ranging from research on a timeline of South Asia history from the dawn of Indus valley civilization until 1947 CE, to language studies on Sinhala, Bangla, Kashmiri, and more.

Project Prakash: Recalibrating the Approach to Eye Care During the Pandemic

Jan 7, 2021 | Announcements, In Region, India, News, Social Enterprise

Project Prakash: Recalibrating the Approach to Eye Care During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant and negative impact on the delivery of eye health services around the world, while pushing new behaviors of both consumers and healthcare service provides. We spoke with Ajay Chawariya, the Executive Director of Project Prakash Charitable Trust (PPCT), to understand how the Project Prakash team is dealing with the challenges of providing eye care during the pandemic.

The Mittal Institute’s Highlights of 2020

Dec 17, 2020 | Announcements, Community, In Region, News

The Mittal Institute’s Highlights of 2020

Another big year for the Mittal Institute and our community has sped by. 2020 has been marked by big changes, and with it we have shifted our operations to the virtual world to continue providing events, in-region programming, and opportunities for our students and faculty to pursue their research on South Asia at Harvard.

Reimagining India’s Health System: A Lancet Citizens’ Commission Launch

Dec 11, 2020 | Announcements, In Region, India, News

Reimagining India’s Health System: A Lancet Citizens’ Commission Launch

New Delhi, December 11, 2020: India’s efforts to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) will now be catalyzed by the voices of its citizens and prominent stakeholders from across diverse sectors of India’s health system with the launch of Reimagining India’s Health System: A Lancet Citizens’ Commission. The work of the Commission will begin today, with an aim to publish a final report of its findings and recommendations in the next two years.

Visiting Artist Fellows: Nora Schultz Teaches Studio Language

Dec 11, 2020 | Announcements, Arts at SAI, Fellows, News

Visiting Artist Fellows: Nora Schultz Teaches Studio Language

Due to COVID-related programming changes this year, our 2020–2021 Visiting Artist Fellowship was reimagined, bringing 13 of the top applicants from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal to the virtual world for a series of four online virtual seminars curated to support the artists’ long-term practice. In these courses, the artists participate in thought-provoking discussions with their peers and the faculty member facilitating the class. Centering on art history, creative writing, urban design, and more, the artists will learn using Harvard’s intellectual and creative resources.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma Provides New Fund for the Mittal Institute

Dec 7, 2020 | Announcements, Community, News

Vijay Shekhar Sharma Provides New Fund for the Mittal Institute

The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute is delighted to announce a new gift from India’s Vijay Shekhar Sharma, which will support the activities and research performed by the Mittal Institute. By enabling scholars from South Asia to work in a cross-disciplinary fashion with faculty, researchers, and students across Harvard on critical questions and issues related to the region, Sharma’s gift will significantly enhance the goals of the Institute to deepen the teaching and research on cultural and global issues related to South Asia.

Launch Event: The Lancet Citizens’ Commission on Reimagining India’s Health System

Dec 3, 2020 | Announcements, In Region, India, News

Launch Event: The Lancet Citizens’ Commission on Reimagining India’s Health System

Join us next Friday, December 11, for the launch event of the Lancet Citizens’ Commission on Reimagining India’s Health System. The Lancet Citizens’ Commission is an ambitious, cross-sectoral endeavor that is working to develop a citizens’ roadmap to achieve universal health coverage throughout India. The Commission will be the first participatory, country-wide report of its scale to be published by the Lancet, a leading international medical journal that has paved the way for medical reforms and global health discussions around the world.

Anupam Sah: Finding a Balance in the Art and Science of Heritage Conservation

Dec 3, 2020 | Announcements, Arts at SAI, In Region, News

Anupam Sah: Finding a Balance in the Art and Science of Heritage Conservation

Until recently, expertise from outside of South Asia has been crucial to informing practices around cultural conservation, but efforts need to be made to understand and adapt to the regional context and nuances. The current state of research and practice of conservation in India is in a nascent stage and is faced by the overwhelming task of the safekeeping and conservation of India’s vast material and intangible cultural heritage. We spoke with Anupam Sah, the Head of Conservation at the CSMVS Museum, to learn more about the status of art and heritage conservation in India. Anupam Sah will be moderating an upcoming two-part seminar series on December 10, “Art and Science of Heritage Conservation: Finding the Right Balance.”

How (and Why) to Create an Interdisciplinary Classroom

Nov 19, 2020 | Announcements, Community, Faculty, News

How (and Why) to Create an Interdisciplinary Classroom

For many years, a group of faculty members at Harvard — Tarun Khanna (HBS), Satchit Balsari (HMS), Rahul Mehrotra (GSD), Krzysztof Gajos (SEAS), and Doris Sommer (FAS) — have taught a GenEd course, entitled “Contemporary Developing Countries: Entrepreneurial Solutions to Intractable Problems.” The course, initially created by Professor Khanna with the support of the Mittal Institute, covers case studies from emerging markets across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Each year, about 100 students enroll in the course from a variety of backgrounds, including undergraduate and graduate students — from sophomores at Harvard College to budding surgeons at Harvard Medical School.

Evaluating the Prevalence of COVID-19 in India

Nov 19, 2020 | Announcements, Faculty, India, News

Evaluating the Prevalence of COVID-19 in India

Recently, a discussion moderated by Richard Cash, Senior Lecturer on Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, brought together Satchit Balsari, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Manoj Mohanan, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Economics, and Global Health at Duke University, to discuss “A Class Apart: COVID-19 Seroprevalence in India.” Together, they explored the findings and implications of a recent seroprevalence survey (the number of individuals in a population who test positive for a specific disease based on serology specimens) conducted by Professor Mohanan’s team in India.