india china institute secures major grant from ford foundation

Funds will support innovative new China-India Scholar-Leaders Initiative at The New School

Members of the India China Institute at The New School.

NEW YORK, November 30, 2015—The India China Institute (ICI) at The New School was recently awarded a $722,000 grant from the Ford Foundation to support the development of a new, multi-year project called the China-India Scholar-Leaders Initiative.

This initiative will support as many as 18 promising young scholar-leaders who are using interdisciplinary research methods to grapple with complex questions related to prosperity and inequality in India and China.

“The Scholar-Leaders Initiative breaks new ground with scholars in India, China and the United States,” Ashok Gurung, ICI Senior Director, said. “We are developing a one-of-a-kind fellowship experience focused on supporting critical, interdisciplinary approaches to studying prosperity and inequality in the world today involving both young and established scholars worldwide.”

This project builds on several successful project of the ICI, including the India China Fellows program, the India China Knowledge and Capacity Building Initiative, and the Emerging Scholars Initiative. The initiative will build strategic partnerships among select universities in India and China, such as Peking University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, as well as partnering with The New School's Global Studies program and former ICI Fellows from India and China to develop new curriculum. These efforts will support the creation of new courses focused on prosperity and inequality in India and China in all three countries.

The initiative focuses on supporting scholars from underrepresented backgrounds (e.g., first-generation college graduates, women, ethnic minorities) and aims to ensure they have equal access and opportunities to participate in global academic networks.

"By focusing on the theme of prosperity and inequality in India and China, ICI aims to further advance its commitment to research, teaching, and policy engagement on social justice and sustainable development," Gurung said. "Building on past successes, ICI will strengthen India China scholarly networks and support interdisciplinary research that can promote better critical scholarship on pressing issues today."

Established in 2005, the India China Institute (ICI) teaches and explores new research and to provide opportunities for both The New School and our international network of innovative scholars, leaders and opinion-makers to engage in critical inquiries involving China, India and the United States. Within the past decade ICI has been successful in the promotion of the academic and public understanding on these issues through providing research and scholarship opportunities through fellowships, courses, publications, public lectures and conferences. Learn more at www.indiachinainstitute.org.

Founded in 1919, The New School was born out of principles of academic freedom, tolerance, and experimentation. Committed to social engagement, The New School today remains in the vanguard of innovation in higher education, with more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students challenging the status quo in design and the social sciences, liberal arts, management, the arts, and media. The New School welcomes thousands of adult learners annually for continuing education courses and calendar of lectures, screenings, readings, and concerts. Through its online learning portals, research institutes, and international partnerships, The New School maintains a global presence. Learn more at www.newschool.edu.

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