Unique, fully funded career development opportunity for ambitious youths who overcome significant barriers to reach higher education
Focusing on the role of academic institutions in ensuring equal access to higher education among underprivileged students and across diverse communities, the Crossroads Emerging Leaders Program will organize its third annual workshop in 2020.
India is a vast country and, with its huge population, it is difficult for the government, or private institutions to provide higher education to all worthy students. And there are many who have to drop out at the secondary and high-school levels to seek jobs to feed their families and engage themselves in the fight for survival instead of reaching for their dreams.
It is only recently, that some people have come forward to reach out their hands for those ill-fated, but bright, students.
This programme was inaugurated in 2017 as a joint effort between the Harvard Business School Club of the GCC, HBS Professors Tarun Khanna and Karim Lakhani and the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute (LMSAI) at Harvard University. It is a prestigious and fully funded career development opportunity for students from across the world, who are the first member of their family — or the first generation in their family — to attend university and face challenges of financial and social circumstances.
Following a rigorous, multi-stage evaluation process, exceptional students are selected from a diverse applicant pool to take part in this unique educational experience. The programme aims at creating a diverse pipeline of future graduate students at such leading universities as Harvard and future leaders from across a range of social-economic, racial and cultural backgrounds. Considering the stupendous response from students across South Asia, the deadline for application to the Crossroads Emerging Leaders Program, 2020, has now been extended to September 30, 2019.
How the world opens up…
In 2018, the student participants travelled to Dubai on a fully funded trip, where they were introduced to a Harvard classroom environment. They took part in mentor discussions, travelled to Dubai’s landmarks and considered their future education and career possibilities. Throughout the week, the students engaged with one another and faculty through Harvard Business School’s case study method of teaching and learning. “(The program) helped me understand what it’s like to study in a Harvard classroom. Each session helped me broaden my perspective of the world around us,” said one student after the program’s conclusion.
For many students, this trip to Dubai was the first time they had left their hometowns — opening their eyes to new cultures, experiences and connections with other youths from across multiple continents. “The diversity of the program made me learn valuable information about other cultures and how they solved different issues, which made the experience very informative at both the personal and career levels,” said another participant.
And in 2020…
In 2020, the Crossroads Program expands to include more eligible countries and curated online sessions that will culminate in the weeklong Dubai experience held at the Dubai International Financial Centre’s Academy. Leading Harvard faculty members will teach an extensive and multi-disciplinary curriculum that includes a combination of case studies, small discussion groups, discussion on potential career paths and information on applying to Harvard.
More details about the program can be found at:
https://mittalsouthasiainstitute.harvard.edu/crossroads/
First-generation college students can apply for the program at:
https://mittalsouthasiainstitute.harvard.edu/sai-crossroads-summer-program-application/
