This academic year, the Mittal Institute has supported 20 graduate and PhD students from across the different schools at Harvard who conduct research focused on South Asia. These Graduate Student Associates (GSAs) engage in monthly working groups to receive feedback from one another and exchange ideas.
Each semester, the Mittal Institute offers grants to Harvard students to further their research, language study, or internship opportunities. This coming summer 2025, 12 students were awarded grants to carry out projects across five countries. Their work spans a wide range of topics, from examining antibiotic access in India, to studying death and dying in Tibetan Buddhism, to immersing themselves in the languages of Pashto, Sanskrit, and Tamil.
Shivangi Chopra, a Master in Public Administration in International Development candidate at Harvard Kennedy School, spent this past winter in New Delhi, India, designing and implementing a culturally sensitive breast cancer awareness curriculum for adolescent girls in government schools.
Saravanan Thangarajan, Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery Candidate at Harvard Medical School, traveled to Tamil Nadu this winter to explore the impact of climate change on maternal and infant health. Supported by a Mittal Institute Winter Research Grant, he interviewed mothers struggling to protect their children from heat, air pollution, and other environmental stressors. Below, Saravanan shares findings from his research and how the experience will impact his future academic path.
Harvard offers a diverse range of courses on South Asia, spanning language, history, politics, economics, religion, and beyond. Explore a selection of Fall 2025 offerings. For the latest updates, please consult the Course Catalog. We’ll continue to expand this list as new courses are announced.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Mittal Institute awarded 14 student grants this winter, allowing students to set out for locations across South Asia to complete research, internships, or language studies. Allen Wang, a Master in Design Studies (Ecologies) student from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, traveled to Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley and Pokhara to complete a research project, “A climate-resilient future for the trekking industry in Nepals Everest region.” Allen details his experience in this grant report.
The journey of two of the Seed for Change 2020 winner projects, Growthosphere and Sahayak, exemplifies how seed funding can act as a springboard for bold ideas with the potential to create lasting impact, and the diverse pathways through which meaningful change can be fostered. Growthosphere, born from a vision to empower marginalized youth through entrepreneurial mentorship, has grown into a thriving initiative that bridges skill gaps and cultivates innovation. Meanwhile, Sahayak’s endeavor to address labor migration through rural skill development has provided key insights into the structural challenges of fostering systemic change.