YIF Faculty and Courses

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Innovative Pedagogy

The Young India Fellowship attracts the finest academicians, practitioners and experts in the field to the classroom, and gives them the autonomy to innovate, create and craft curricula. This is a rare freedom within academia and ensures an unparalleled teaching and learning experience, not just for YIF, but across all programmes at Ashoka University.

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Ashoka has institutionalised the Socratic way of teaching: focusing on teaching students how to think rather than just what to think. Each course offering is from a distinct academic or professional domain, while several are interdisciplinary in nature. Course offerings include public policy, art appreciation, statistics, data, psychology, philosophy, gender studies, group dynamics, design thinking, communication, international relations and more. Broad course domains are as follows:

 

Fellows study a total of 20 courses during the year-long programme. Most of these courses are taken by all 100 Fellows, while a few courses are taught in groups of about 25 Fellows, as choice-based Special Seminars.

The diversity in courses is also reflected in the varied styles of teaching and assessment, which includes discussions, seminars, field visits, presentations and group work. While catering to multiple learning styles, this allows Fellows to learn from a range of perspectives, and prepare themselves to be critical thinkers who can connect the dots.

Faculty at the YIF

Renowned faculty from Ashoka University and partner institutions (such as the University of Pennsylvania), and practitioners from leading institutions globally teach at the YIF. The following is a non-exhaustive list of current and recent faculty at the YIF.

K. VijayRaghavan

Former Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India

Rudrangshu Mukherjee

Chancellor, Professor of History, Ashoka University

D.Phil. Oxford University

Dipankar Bhattacharya

Head of the Department, Physics,
Sunanda and Santimay Basu Professor of Astrophysics, Ashoka University

Ph.D. Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru

Madhavi Menon

Professor of English,
Director, Centre for Studies in Gender & Sexuality, Ashoka University

Ph.D. Tufts University

Jonathan Gil Harris

Professor of English, Ashoka University

Ph.D. University of Sussex

Amit Chaudhuri

Head of Department, Professor of Creative Writing, Ashoka University

DPhil in English, Oxford University

Kathryn Hardy

Head of the Department, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Ashoka University

Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania

Shahid Jameel

Visiting Professor, Trivedi School of Biosciences,
Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship,
Ashoka University

Wellcome Trust International Senior Research Fellow. PhD Biochemistry, Washington State University, USA

Bhismadev Chakrabarti

Visiting Professor of Psychology, Ashoka University

Ph.D. Trinity College, Cambridge

Debayan Gupta

Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Ashoka University

Ph.D. Yale University

Kenwyn K. Smith

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. Yale University

Dwight Jaggard

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. California Institute of Technology

Neela Saldanha

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania

Ranjan Banerjee

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. Carlson School of Management

Arun Kumar Singh

 Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

MA University of Delhi 

Pramath Raj Sinha

Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Ashoka University
Founder and MD, Harappa Education
Founder and MD, 9.9 Group
Founding Dean, ISB
Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania

KP Krishnan

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

Santosh S. Venkatesh

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. California Institute of Technology

Urvashi Butalia

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Publisher and Founder, Zubaan Books Reader at College of Vocational Studies, University of Delhi

A. K. Shiva Kumar

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. Harvard University

Sanjay Kathuria

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. Oxford University

Anunaya Chaubey

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. Patna University

Purushottam Agrawal

Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. Jawaharlal Nehru University

Sanjeev Bikhchandani

Founder and Vice-Chairman, Info Edge (Naukri.com)
Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

BA, St. Stephen’s College
MBA, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad 

Mekhala Krishnamurthy

Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Ashoka University

Ph.D. University College, London

Deepak Mehta

Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Ashoka University

Ph.D. Delhi University

Clancy Martin

Professor of Philosophy, Ashoka University

Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin

Rudra Chaudhuri

Visiting Professor of International Relations, Ashoka University
Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

Ph.D. King’s College London

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Courses at the YIF

Please note that several courses change year on year, and the following non-exhaustive list of courses from is appended below for the reader to get a sense of the kinds of courses that are offered at the YIF:

 

Courses by Ashoka University Faculty

Course
Ashoka University Faculty
JM Financial Lectures on Reason and the Making of Modern India Rudrangshu Mukherjee
Chancellor and Professor of History, Ashoka University, DPhil, University of Oxford
Exploring the Universe Somak Raychaudhury
Vice-Chancellor, Ashoka University, PhD, University of Cambridge
Dipankar Bhattacharya
Sunanda and Santimay Basu Professor of Astrophysics and HoD of Physics, Ashoka University, PhD, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore
Khayal, North Indian Classical Music and the Modern Song: A Story of the Trajectory of Modernity Amit Chaudhuri
Professor of Creative Writing, Ashoka University, DPhil, University of Oxford
The Welfare State Mekhala Krishnamurthy
Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Ashoka University, PhD, University College, London
Language, Politics and Society in India Kathryn Collins Hardy
Assistant Professor and HoD of Sociology and Anthropology, Ashoka University, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
The New Geography of the Information Age Debayan Gupta
Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Ashoka University, PhD, Yale University
Shakespeare and the World Jonathan Gil Harris
Professor and HoD of English, Ashoka University, PhD, University of Sussex
Madhavi Menon
Professor of English, Ashoka University, PhD, Tufts University

 

Courses by Visiting Faculty at the YIF

Course
Visiting Faculty at the YIF
Heart of Leadership and Group Dynamics Kenwyn K Smith
Former Professor, University of Pennsylvania, PhD, Yale University
Foundations of Leadership Dwight L Jaggard
Professor Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania, PhD, California Institute of Technology
Women, Society and Changing India Urvashi Butalia
Padma Shri; Writer and Founder, Zubaan Books, MA, University of London
Economic Reasoning and Public Policy AK Shiva Kumar
Development Economist, PhD, Harvard University
Problem Solving and Statistical Thinking in Modern Life Santosh S Venkatesh
Professor, University of Pennsylvania, PhD, California Institute of Technology
Indian Society: Imaginations, Structures and Identities (Society) Surinder Jodhka
Professor, JNU, PhD, Sociology
Visual Storytelling and Cinematic Techniques Meenu Gaur
Filmmaker, PhD, SOAS, University of London
Building Habits, Careers and Institutions Pramath Raj Sinha
Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Ashoka University, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
An Overview of Public Policy and Regulation in India with Indian Finance as a Case Study K P Krishnan
Former Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, PhD, IIM Bangalore
Trade, Trust and Peace in South Asia Sanjay Kathuria
Former Lead Economist, The World Bank, PhD, Oxford University
Deconstructing Select Indian Foreign Policy Challenges and Responses: A Practitioner’s Perspective Arun Kumar Singh
Former Indian Ambassador to the United States, France and Israel, MA, University of Delhi
Art Appreciation Anunaya Chaubey
Provost, Anant National University, PhD, Patna University
From Theory to Practice: Using Behavioural Economics to Address Global Policy Challenges Saugato Datta
Managing Director, Ideas42, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Design Thinking and Innovation Ranjan Banerjee
Vice-Chancellor and Professor, Nayanta University, PhD, University of Minnesota
Climate Change and the Future of Health, Food, and Agriculture K VijayRaghavan
Former Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India, PhD, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
AI and Beyond: Being Human in the Age of AI Jaspreet Bindra
Thought Leader, Advisor, Author on Digital Transformation, AI, Blockchain, Future of Work
Science of Emotions and Empathy: A Toolkit of Concepts and Techniques Bhismadev Chakrabarti
Professor of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Reading (UK), PhD, Cambridge University
Global Mental Health:A Primer to Decrease Human Suffering and Increase Thriving in the World Srishti Meera Sardana
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Columbia University, Global Mental Health Research Fellow, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, PhD, Columbia University

 

Cross-Listed Courses

We’ve launched an initiative that provides fellows with the chance to earn 2 additional credits beyond the YIF curriculum. These cross-listed courses encompass a wide range of subjects, including Business Analysis, Public Policy, Startup Incubation, and AI, among others. Admission to these courses is competitive, and they are offered in both the Monsoon and Spring semesters.

Currently, we are offering six courses from the Centre for Entrepreneurship and one course from the “Ashoka Centre for Well-Being” as part of this initiative. Looking ahead, we aspire to expand our collaboration with more centers and departments at Ashoka University to enhance the options available to YIF participants.”

 

Course
Faculty
Business Analysis and Strategy Akhil Dhawan
Visiting Faculty, Ashoka University, MD, Locus Investment Group, MBA, The Wharton School
Sanjay Kukreja
Visiting Faculty, Ashoka University, Partner and CIO, ChrysCapital, MBA, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
Pavan Ahluwalia
Visiting Faculty, Ashoka University, Founder and Managing Director, Laburnum Capital, MBA, Stanford University
Driving Inspired Social Impact: Deconstructing Social Sector Systems in India Seema Bansal
Visiting Faculty, Ashoka University, MBA, Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta
Shoikat Roy
Visiting Faculty, Ashoka University, Master’s in Global Affairs, University of Toronto
Accounting and Financial Statements Deepali Singh
Visiting Faculty, Ashoka University, Founder and CEO, The WallstreetWiz
Life Design Lab Navyug Mohnot
Visiting Faculty, Ashoka University, Founder and CEO, QAI Global Services
Integrated Digital Marketing Strategy Shradha Agarwal
Visiting Faculty, Ashoka University, Co-Founder and CEO, grapes
Living with Purpose: Lessons for Life from Psychology, Neuroscience and Cognitive Wellbeing Arvinder J Singh
Director, Ashoka Centre for Well-Being, Ashoka University

 

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