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Spotlight on the Newly Launched Harvard Bangladeshi Students’ Association (HBSA)

Mar 25, 2025 | Announcements, Bangladesh, Community, News, Students

Spotlight on the Newly Launched Harvard Bangladeshi Students’ Association (HBSA)

This academic year, the Harvard Bangladeshi Students’ Association (HBSA) was founded as a University-wide recognized student organization to build community, amplify Bangladeshi voices, and create spaces for cultural celebration, professional development, and advocacy. The Mittal Institute spoke with president Moomtahina Fatima, vice-president Khondoker Nazmoon Nabi, and treasurer Safwan Hossain about the mission of their group, their inaugural event on February 21, and what role Harvard students from Bangladesh and other diaspora members can take in engaging on challenges that Bangladesh faces today.

Goa-ing the Extra Mile: A Journey of Learning Together Through PSIL

Mar 25, 2025 | In Region, India, News, Students

Goa-ing the Extra Mile: A Journey of Learning Together Through PSIL

The Program for Scientifically-Inspired Leadership (PSIL) brings together Harvard undergraduates, local college students from India, and underprivileged high school students in India for a week-long residential learning experience. Merlin D’souza ’25, Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology and Global Health and Health Policy, was part of the five-person Harvard undergraduate cohort, and she shares her own dispatch, below. 

Urbanization in Bangladesh: Prof. Adnan Morshed Previews His State of Architecture Talk

Mar 18, 2025 | Bangladesh, News

Urbanization in Bangladesh: Prof. Adnan Morshed Previews His State of Architecture Talk

The State of Architecture in South Asia series welcomes Professor Adnan Morshed for its next March 27 installment on “Good Density as Urban Justice.” Prof. Morshed, Professor at the School of Architecture and Planning at the Catholic University of America, is a practicing architect and architectural historian with an academic focus on the history and theory of modern architecture and urbanism. We spoke with Prof. Morshed in advance of his talk, which will explore urbanization in Bangladesh with a focus on population density.

Bridging the Gender Gap in Rural India Healthcare: Madhavi Jha ’25 Shares Student Grant Update

Mar 18, 2025 | India, News, Students

Bridging the Gender Gap in Rural India Healthcare: Madhavi Jha ’25 Shares Student Grant Update

Madhavi Jha, a doctoral student in Economics, spent this past winter in Suri, India, conducting research for her project, “Addressing Gender Disparities in the Diagnosis of NCDs in Rural India.” Supported by a Mittal Institute Student Grant, her work examines gender disparities in diagnosing and treating non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in rural India, with a particular focus on men’s lower engagement in preventive healthcare.

From India to the World: Student-Led India Conference at Harvard Showcases Country’s Rising Global Influence

Mar 12, 2025 | Community, India, News, Students

From India to the World: Student-Led India Conference at Harvard Showcases Country’s Rising Global Influence

The annual India Conference at Harvard is a student-led initiative that delves into India’s dynamic diversity and its growing influence on the world stage. For over 22 years, students from across Harvard’s schools have brought together thought leaders from business, economics, education, and culture to provide a comprehensive view of India’s present and future trajectory.

Harvard Researchers Broaden Study on Extreme Heat’s Effects on Health and Livelihoods

Mar 11, 2025 | Climate, India, News

Harvard Researchers Broaden Study on Extreme Heat’s Effects on Health and Livelihoods

Climate projections indicate that South Asia will face an increasing number of extremely hot days, posing severe direct and indirect threats to human health and livelihoods. However, traditional temperature measurements—whether from weather stations or satellites—fail to capture the localized effects of extreme heat. Enter the Heat Adaptation and Treatment Strategies (CommunityHATS) study, an initiative that follows hundreds of women working in the informal economy across a variety of indoor and outdoor environments in South Asia to provide a granular understanding of how extreme heat and humidity are truly experienced at the community level.

Ranjitsinh Disale, Harvard Ed.M. Student and Global Teacher Prize Winner, on Transforming Education in India

Mar 5, 2025 | India, News, Students

Ranjitsinh Disale, Harvard Ed.M. Student and Global Teacher Prize Winner, on Transforming Education in India

The Mittal Institute spoke with Ranjitsinh Disale, an M.Ed. student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Global Teacher Prize Winner 2020. He reflects on his journey since winning the award for transforming education for young girls at Zilla Parishad Primary School in Paritewadi, Solapur, Maharashtra, India, and the driving forces behind his work.

Masuma Halai Khwaja, Visiting Artist Fellow, on Using Textiles to Create Cultural Narratives

Mar 5, 2025 | Announcements, Arts Program, Community, News

Masuma Halai Khwaja, Visiting Artist Fellow, on Using Textiles to Create Cultural Narratives

Masuma Halai Khwaja joins the Mittal Institute this spring as a Visiting Artist Fellow. A visual artist, she explores textiles as a medium to weave together personal memory, diverse histories, and cultural intersections—creating narratives that transcend their origins. Working with fabrics sourced from local flea markets, she integrates embroidery to symbolize the fragmentation of traditions in the face of globalization.

On Birth, Transformation, and Divinity: Previewing the “Birthing the Goddess” Book Talk

Feb 25, 2025 | Community, India, News

On Birth, Transformation, and Divinity: Previewing the “Birthing the Goddess” Book Talk

On March 4, the Mittal Institute will host an author talk on Birthing the Goddess: The Feminine and the Idea of Birth with three of the book’s five authors. This collection of essays explore birthing myths and traditions from the research of five close friends who have a common interest in the mysteries of the Feminine Divine. We spoke with one of the authors, Stella Dupuis, who gave us a preview of the talk and some insight into the book.