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Video: Educational Responses to COVID-19 in South Asia

Video: Educational Responses to COVID-19 in South Asia

The Mittal Institute’s recent panel webinar, “Educational Responses to COVID-19 in South Asia,” was moderated by Zainab Qureshi, LEAPS Director at Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD), Harvard Kennedy School. Together, the panelists discussed how COVID-19 has shut down traditional education programs throughout South Asia, from primary education to higher education. They highlighted the unique challenges the region is facing in the education sector, such as access to technology and the potential long-term effects of distance learning. 

Video: Entrepreneurs and the COVID-19 Global Reset in South Asia

Video: Entrepreneurs and the COVID-19 Global Reset in South Asia

The Mittal Institute’s latest panel webinar, “Entrepreneurs and the COVID-19 Global Reset in South Asia,” was moderated by Tarun Khanna, Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor at Harvard Business School and Director of the Mittal Institute. Together, the panelists delved into the impact of the COVID-19 maelstrom across South Asia on enterprises. They explored the extent to which entrepreneurs have been able to work with both the state and civil society to limit the damage and distress caused by the pandemic, but also to begin exploring new opportunities that a possible “global reset” has opened up to the developing world.

Assessing the Response to COVID-19 in South Asia

Assessing the Response to COVID-19 in South Asia

Recently, we spoke with two panelists from our first COVID-19 webinar to answer some of your lingering questions about COVID-19 in South Asia — delving deeper into the impact of public messaging and the lockdown. Dr. Richard Cash is a Senior Lecturer on Global Health in the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Dr. Srinath Reddy is President of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI).

Together, they explore improvements to future public messaging about the pandemic, as well as alternatives to lockdown and the social and economic costs of lockdown in South Asia.

Podcast Series: COVID-19 in South Asia

Podcast Series: COVID-19 in South Asia

How has COVID-19 impacted South Asia? Throughout the spring and summer, the Mittal Institute is bringing together Harvard faculty and in-region experts in numerous webinars to discuss the interdisciplinary issues that have arisen in South Asia amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. From the science of the virus to changes in education, you can learn how COVID-19 has impacted South Asia.

The Mittal Institute’s 2019-2020 Year In Review

The Mittal Institute’s 2019-2020 Year In Review

This past year, the Mittal Institute has delved into South Asia’s arts, sciences, humanities, and more, partnering with faculty, students, and affiliates. You can read all about our latest research and programs in our 2019-2020 Year In Review, now available digitally, by clicking here. For a preview, read the report’s opening “Letter From the Director” by Tarun Khanna, Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor at Harvard Business School and Director of the Mittal Institute, below.

Intern Spotlight: Preksha Singh

Intern Spotlight: Preksha Singh

The Mittal Institute’s interns each have the drive and ambition to serve their communities and perform research to advance the greater good of our increasingly linked world. Their unique experiences and skills have been invaluable to our team, and we’d like to take the time to recognize and thank our graduating interns. Today, we’re introducing Preksha Singh, who will graduate this month with an Ed. M degree focusing on Mind, Brain, and Education. Originally from Navi Mumbai, India, Preksha came to Harvard in the fall and quickly became an asset to our team.

Improving COVID-19 Data Reliability to Prioritize Front-Line Needs

Improving COVID-19 Data Reliability to Prioritize Front-Line Needs

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic has saturated our society with massive amounts of data, from location data that measures social distancing efforts to apps, graphs, and charts modeling future trends or helping you assess your symptoms, all accessible at the click of a button. A recent article published in the Harvard Business Review, “Which Covid-19 Data Can You Trust?,” delves into the various technological solutions that have emerged in the face of the pandemic and the potential they pose to provide unreliable information to the populace and policymakers. More than ever, it has become essential to increase engagement between subject-matter experts and decision-makers to manage the reliability of COVID-19-related data moving forward.

Exploring the Next Frontier of MedTech

Exploring the Next Frontier of MedTech

This past winter break, with the support of the Mittal Institute, my classmate Jay and I ventured on a three-week journey through India. We hopped on a 16-hour flight from JFK to Mumbai the night after our last final, excited to hit the ground running. I couldn’t have imagined how enriching and fun our adventure would turn out to be. We were traveling to South Asia to meet with engineers, clinicians, and entrepreneurs to discuss medical technology innovation.

Intern Spotlight: Alex Sanyal

Intern Spotlight: Alex Sanyal

The Mittal Institute’s interns come from diverse places and backgrounds, yet each share the drive and ambition to serve their communities and perform research to advance the greater good of our increasingly linked world. Their unique experiences and skills have been invaluable to our team, and we’d like to take the time to recognize and thank our graduating seniors. Although they will not be walking, it is more important than ever to share their stories and accomplishments. Introducing: Alex Indira Sanyal! A Boston native, Alex will be graduating this month with a Masters in Design Studies (MDes) in Critical Conservation from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. We caught up with Alex to learn more about her experience as a graduate student at Harvard, and how her graduate research and life as a student have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Video: The Science Behind COVID-19

Video: The Science Behind COVID-19

The Mittal Institute’s latest panel webinar, “The Science Behind COVID-19,” was moderated by Dr. Jennifer Leaning, Professor of the Practice of Health and Human Rights at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Together, the panelists provided a deeper understanding of the science behind the COVID-19 virus, exploring the place of science in the COVID-19 response, and new methods of tracking transmission of the virus throughout South Asia through the use of mobile network data.