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Advancing South Asian Scholarship: Meet Our 2025–26 Fellows

Advancing South Asian Scholarship: Meet Our 2025–26 Fellows

The Mittal Institute’s Cambridge and India offices foster South Asian scholarship by hosting Fellows and Visiting Artist Fellows. Our Fellows, who are scholars and practitioners, come to Harvard to pursue independent, self-directed research and engage with the university’s world-class resources. Visiting Artist Fellows are mid-career artists from across South Asia who spend two months on campus, collaborating with Harvard faculty and students as they explore the region’s social, political, cultural, and economic issues through art. In the 2025–26 academic year, we are delighted to welcome four new Fellows and one Visiting Artist Fellow.

Graduate Student Associates Program Welcomes 20 Scholars

Graduate Student Associates Program Welcomes 20 Scholars

Each year, the Mittal Institute welcomes Graduate Student Associates (GSAs) from across Harvard’s schools to advance research on South Asia. The program fosters interdisciplinary exchange by bringing together graduate and Ph.D. students to share ideas and strengthen their work. This year, 20 new and returning GSAs will collaborate with the Institute through monthly working group meetings, where they present and receive feedback on their research, participate in with Faculty Cabinet presentations, attend internal panel discussions, and more.

Redefining Tradition: Inside the Upcoming Indian Classical Dance Conference

Redefining Tradition: Inside the Upcoming Indian Classical Dance Conference

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.

Monetizing Air: Sai Balakrishnan on the Cost of “Free Housing” in Mumbai

Monetizing Air: Sai Balakrishnan on the Cost of “Free Housing” in Mumbai

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.

India’s Path to a Carbon-Free Future: A Conversation with Professor Michael B. McElroy

India’s Path to a Carbon-Free Future: A Conversation with Professor Michael B. McElroy

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.”

Faculty Funding for Climate Research on South Asia

Faculty Funding for Climate Research on South Asia

The Mittal Institute is excited to announce a funding opportunity for faculty research on climate change in South Asia in the academic year 2025-2026. Harvard faculty members from any Harvard School are invited to propose impactful climate research projects or interdisciplinary collaboration through workshops that address the critical challenges of climate change in the region.

The Mittal Institute Presents the 2024–25 Year in Review and Arts Program Reports

The Mittal Institute Presents the 2024–25 Year in Review and Arts Program Reports

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. 

A Milestone for India’s Informal Workers: HUM SAB EK (We Are One) on Display at the International Labor Organization’s Headquarters

A Milestone for India’s Informal Workers: HUM SAB EK (We Are One) on Display at the International Labor Organization’s Headquarters

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.

The Mittal Institute’s Top Event Videos of the Spring Semester

The Mittal Institute’s Top Event Videos of the Spring Semester

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.

5 Reasons to Visit the Mittal Institute’s India Office This Summer

5 Reasons to Visit the Mittal Institute’s India Office This Summer

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!