SAI offers grants for research, language study

Since its inception in 2003, the South Asia Initiative (SAI) continues the long tradition of collaboration between Harvard and South Asia. Learning from South Asia and contributing to its development have become vital given the salience of the region in contemporary times. Under the leadership of Tarun Khanna, faculty director of SAI and Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor at the Harvard Business School, the initiative has forged links and synergies across Harvard’s Schools and within South Asia, creating a nexus for interdisciplinary scholarship with shared aspirations to build the leading center of expertise on South Asia.

This year, SAI has hosted more than 34 seminar series focusing on topics related to global health, Pakistan, social enterprise, urbanization, water, and climate change. The South Asia Without Borders seminar series focuses on the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Additionally, the “Health in South Asia: Lessons for and from the World” symposium, held in April, engaged Harvard faculty, area experts, and government officials in discussions of challenges and innovative solutions to health and health care.

SAI’s regional presence in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan plays a crucial role in supporting Harvard faculty and students in research, teaching, and field experience. This summer, aided by SAI, 58 undergraduate and graduate students and seven faculty members have been funded to travel to all corners of South Asia to conduct research, perform fieldwork, participate in internships, and pursue study of South Asian languages.

For more information about SAI.