Introducing LMSAI Fellows + Graduate Student Associates
The Mittal Institute presents its Academic Year 2022-23 Fellows and Graduate Student Associates.
Category : Students
Grants and Fellowships: Upcoming Mittal Institute Funding Deadlines
The Mittal Institute supports Harvard faculty and students as well as in-region scholars with unique opportunities to advance understanding of South Asia. FOR IN-REGION ARTISTS TO COME TO HARVARD Visiting Artist Fellowship – Apply by May 24, 2022 The LMSAI...
At Harvard Law, Strengthening Spaces for South Asians
The Harvard South Asian Law Students Association (SALSA) is dedicated to the advancement and visibility of the South Asian community at Harvard Law School. They strengthen dialogue and connections through a variety of formats: discussions, lectures, panels, film screenings and social events. The Mittal Institute spoke with co-presidents Rosie Kaur and Vandana Apte about SALSA and its role on campus.
Hindu Engagement with Rūmī’s Mathnawī in Mughal India: A Winter Student Grant Report by Nariman Aavani
A winter student grant report by Nariman Aavani, Ph.D candidate in the Comparative Study of Religion at Harvard University, who studies Islamic and South Asian philosophical traditions
Empowering Female Youth in Pakistan: A Student Summer Grant Report From Han Choi ’22
Han Choi, a Master’s student in the Department of Global Health & Population at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health, spent her summer interning with LEAPS, a program that trains female youth to deliver early childhood care and education in rural Pakistan. Focusing on community development, she aimed to empower youth leaders by giving them a voice through the coordination of creative platforms, like webinars. With LEAPS, she worked to expand on local perspectives and recent data through qualitative analyses that are action-driven, to build advocacy on national/global platforms for South Asian youth. She shared a summary of her project.
Hindu Values and Traditions: A Spotlight on Student Group Harvard Dharma
The Mittal Institute sat down with Harvard Dharma co-presidents Kavya Shah ‘23, Dhwani Bharvad ‘22, and Varun Tekur ‘22 to learn more about Dharma and its role on campus.
Scienspur: Free STEM Program Continues to Grow in 2022
It started as a solution to a challenge: how do we help students from India’s government schools follow their dreams and explore their curiosity towards science, technology, and everything in between? The answer took the form of Scienspur: an initiative led by Nagaraju ‘Nag’ Dhanyasi and Vinay Vikas, who brought together their network of Ph.D.s and postdocs using a Mittal Institute grant to provide free science courses to students from public colleges across India.
A Q&A with Sujata Saunik on her new book: Deconstructing the Kumbh Mela
Sujata Saunik, former Mittal Institute Research Affiliate and current Additional Chief Secretary of the Government of Maharashtra, spoke with the Mittal Institute about her new book, “Deconstructing the Kumbh Mela: Nashik-Trimbakeshwar 2015 – A Public Health Perspective,” which details some of the underpinings of planning the Kumbh Mela. She was the Principal Health Secretary during the 2015 Kumbh Mela, and in the book documents the detailed planning, preparedness and foresight necessary to plan an event of such magnitude. Sujata says the book is a celebration of the zeal of the entire workforce that is involved in the event, and she shares her experience in the interview that follows.
Blossom: An App for the Neurodiverse Community
Image courtesy Divyanka Kapoor. Blossom, a forthcoming phone app from Divyanka Kapoor ’21, aims to mitigate any social and emotional challenges presented to neurodiverse families and individuals. Blossom is designed to connect neurodiverse families, to help...
Assessing Early Childhood Responsiveness in Pakistan: A Student Grant Report from Elizabeth Hentschel ’26
Elizabeth Hentschel, a doctoral student in the Department of Global Health and Population, based at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, spent this past summer working in-country in Pakistan on a dissertation research project, “Measuring Nurturing Care: A Pathway to Healthy Child Development and Protection.” Funded in part by a Mittal Institute Summer Research Grant, Elizabeth’s project took her to Naushahro Feroze, in the Sindh Province of Pakistan where she spent a month at a child development research site. She lead the efforts to create two evidence-informed measures for assessing responsive care and early learning for children.
Using Spirulina to Eradicate Anemia: A Seed For Change Grant Update from India EATS
Spirulina, a blue-green algae with strong nutritional and antioxidant effects. Wikimedia Commons. India EATS, a research group devoted to alleviating iron deficiency in India, was recently awarded a Seed for Change grant by the Mittal Institute. Led by Kumaresh...
Student Group Spotlight: Harvard College Pakistani Students Association
For the past decade, the Harvard College Pakistani Students Association (HCPSA) has shared the vibrant history and culture of Pakistan with the campus community. HCPSA is dedicated to creating inclusive, social spaces for Pakistanis and advancing meaningful discourse about prominent Pakistani issues, events, and politics. Each year, they host academic programming that celebrates Pakistani heritage; organize events like Cultural Night and moving screenings; and educates Harvard students about Pakistan’s culture. The Mittal Institute sat down with co-presidents Iqra Noor ‘23 and Hamaad Mehal ‘24 to learn more about mission of the HCPSA.