Ashoka Reflections_AUGUST 2023
Welcome to interactive presentation, created with Publuu. Enjoy the reading!
How did your time at Harvard where you explored innovative education modules help you in
reaffirming that you wanted to work in the higher education sector?
Even before I went to Harvard, I knew that I wanted to commit myself to transforming higher education in
India. This is why I chose to do such a specialised programme in higher education, administration, governance
and policy. Given that I already went in with that view, my time there helped me contrast the American
education system with the Indian education system. A lot of my academic engagement ended up having a
comparative lens, whether it was higher education at large or different aspects of it—governance, student
identity development, philosophy of education, curriculum design, diversity, equity and inclusion, and more. I
realised that a sense of belonging is perhaps the most important feeling that an individual could have, and we
must constantly think about ways to create a more enriching and supportive environment for people to safely
develop that. It has been almost four years since I have been back at Ashoka and that learning is now an
integral part of how I function.
I have had a keen interest in understanding innovative models to address issues of equity and inclusion. This
reminds me of Professor Anthony Abraham Jack, who wrote The Privileged Poor. One of the things he notes is
that mere access is not inclusion. Providing need-based aid is only the first step in providing access, and is not
an end in itself. There are several barriers to socialisation and engagement once students are on campus,
especially for learners who come from historically disadvantaged communities. While there is a lot that peers
naturally do to support each other, it is also our responsibility as an administrative group to enable that for
them. One example of this is a financial outlay—a monthly stipend along with financial aid for a few students.
This has now been implemented for the first time for the Class of 2024, as I mentioned earlier. Another
important aspect is how sensitised community members are towards each other and how it is ideal for people
with actual lived experiences to address issues of belonging and we need to be mindful allies in enabling that.
With the educational landscape being in a constant state of flux and multiple courses/fellowships now
existing in the field of liberal arts, how do you think that the Young India Fellowship can keep itself
relevant?
It can be argued that YIF has been a pioneering force in Indian Higher Education, and different aspects of it
have been emulated. Since YIF was launched, several Fellowships and one-year postgraduate programmes
have started, which I would say is important and much needed in the Indian context. YIF has never had a focus
on one particular domain. It pushes us to think across disciplines in whatever we do. At the YIF, Fellows can
study art, astrophysics, philosophy, literature and behavioural science, all at the same time. That is still rare in
Indian Higher Education.
C O V E R S T O R Y
Ashoka Reflections | Page 06
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84