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The 1970 Bhola Cyclone and the Birth of Bangladesh

Nov 5, 2024 | Announcements, Bangladesh, Climate, Faculty, News, Pakistan

The 1970 Bhola Cyclone and the Birth of Bangladesh

In 1970, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) was hit by a cyclone that killed 300,000 to 500,000 people. Prof. Mushfiq Mobarak, Yale University, and Prof. Sultan Mehmood, New Economic School of Moscow, provide empirical evidence that the cyclone’s devastation and the Pakistani government’s “callous response” to it were instrumental in galvanizing support for an independence movement. The two authors share their work in this Q+A ahead of a November 15 Joint Seminar on South Asian Politics.

Applications Now Open: Faculty Grants for Research on South Asia

Nov 4, 2024 | Announcements, Faculty, News

Applications Now Open: Faculty Grants for Research on South Asia

The Mittal Institute invites Harvard faculty from across the university to apply for funding for research related to any of the countries we work with in South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and/or Sri Lanka. This opportunity is open to all Harvard University faculty members. Applications are due on December 13, 2024.

Vidya Subramanian’s Journey Post Raghunathan Fellowship

Oct 29, 2024 | Announcements, Fellows, News

Vidya Subramanian’s Journey Post Raghunathan Fellowship

Vidya Subramanian, former Raghunathan Fellow at the Mittal Institute and STS Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, has been busy in the years since her 2020 stint at Harvard. We caught up with Vidya to learn more about her work at the intersection of technology and society, and her research into the changing nature of citizenship in our technological society.

Waste Pickers and Methane Emissions

Oct 26, 2024 | Climate, Faculty, In Region, India, News

Waste Pickers and Methane Emissions

In an essay for the 1800 Histories project based at the Harvard Center for History and Economics, which explores the local conditions at key sites that play a disproportionate role in methane emissions, WIEGO founder and Mittal Institute Steering Committee member Martha Chen writes about the impact waste pickers have on methane emissions in Delhi, India.

The Mittal Institute Mourns the Passing of Steering Committee Member Dr. Richard Alan Cash (1941–2024)

Oct 22, 2024 | Announcements, News

The Mittal Institute Mourns the Passing of Steering Committee Member Dr. Richard Alan Cash (1941–2024)

The Mittal Institute mourns the passing of Richard A. Cash, Senior Lecturer on Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and an esteemed member of the Mittal Institute’s Steering Committee. Richard A. Cash was a highly distinguished scholar of public health with longtime ties to South Asia. He conducted the first clinical trials of Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). This relatively simple innovation proved highly effective and led to a globally accessible and affordable solution to dehydration that has since saved over 60 million lives worldwide. 

Acclaimed Pakistani Artist Naiza Khan Named Harvard’s Mittal Institute’s Distinguished Artist Fellow 2025

Oct 21, 2024 | Announcements, Arts Program, Fellows, News

Acclaimed Pakistani Artist Naiza Khan Named Harvard’s Mittal Institute’s Distinguished Artist Fellow 2025

The Mittal Institute is excited to announce that Naiza Khan, a highly acclaimed visual artist from Pakistan, will be in residence on the Harvard campus in April 2025 as the institute’s second Distinguished Artist Fellow. The Distinguished Artist Fellowship at the Mittal Institute supports the artistic and research endeavors of senior artists from South Asia. A selection committee nominates a fellow in recognition of the artist’s contribution to important issues related to South Asia.

Spotlight on the Himalayan Caucus at HKS

Oct 16, 2024 | Community, News, Students

Spotlight on the Himalayan Caucus at HKS
The Himalayan Caucus at the Harvard Kennedy School may be one of Harvard’s newer South Asian-focused student groups, but its reach and breadth has grown rapidly. Started in December 2023, the Himalayan Caucus represents and shares the cultures from Himalayan countries...

NEW: Mittal Institute Launches Climate Fellowship for Postdoctoral Scholars

Oct 10, 2024 | Announcements, Climate, Fellows, News

NEW: Mittal Institute Launches Climate Fellowship for Postdoctoral Scholars

The Mittal Institute is pleased to offer a new fellowship for post-doctoral scholars researching the impacts of climate change on South Asia. The Mittal Family Climate Fellowship aims to support innovative research projects that explore how climate change has influenced the region’s past, is shaping its present, and will affect its future. The application window for Academic Year 2025/2026 is open and will close on December 10, 2024.

Indian Classical Musician Bahauddin Dagar in Residence at Harvard this October: A Q+A

Oct 9, 2024 | Announcements, Arts Program, Community, News

Indian Classical Musician Bahauddin Dagar in Residence at Harvard this October: A Q+A

The Mittal Institute is pleased to welcome Distinguished Artist in Residence Ustad Bahauddin Dagar, a renowned rudra veena player. Ahead of his visit, we spoke with Dagar about how to balance tradition and artistic freedom, the peculiarities of the rudra veena, and what attendees can expect from his performance on Oct. 17, which will be part of ArtsThursdays, a university-wide initiative supported by Harvard University Committee on the Arts (HUCA).