When seniors Ritu Kamal and Sanhita Sen looked at their post-graduation options, they each came to the same conclusion.
"We are both interested in doing service in India, but we realized that all of the programs that Princeton currently has do not offer sites in India," said Sen, who is also an associate editor at The Daily Princetonian.
The seniors decided to address the lack of University-sponsored service opportunities in India by creating a program themselves. The result is Princeton in India (PI), which will complement a growing interest in South Asian studies at Princeton.
Like the other international service internships, PI will partner graduating seniors for one year with NGOs in fields of their interests. The program plans to place one student in each of four different areas: environmental issues, HIV/AIDS, women's issues and one non-service related field such as journalism or business.
"I think it's awesome," said Jevon Harding '07, who attended an information session for the program held yesterday night in the basement of Dod Hall. "[India] is still an area that can be helped by nonprofits, so it's a great idea to reach out."
NGOs will be selected with the help of Princeton faculty member Smitu Kothari, who spends half of each year in India working with his own nonprofit organization. His resources and connection to the nonprofit network in India have helped Sen and Kamal search for appropriate organizations.
The Princeton in India program will provide the selected fellows with compensation for all of their expenses, a furnished apartment for the four to share in New Delhi and a stipend, all of which have been funded by alumni donations.
Sen stressed that the program "is not meant strictly for South Asian students. It is meant to cultivate interest among people who aren't necessarily from the area. We want a diverse group."
An important step in the formation of the program will be to establish an official connection to the University.
"We want to be integrated into the University; we want to be for the students," Sen said.
Selection of the four available positions will be based upon essays and expressed interest in international travel. The final decision will be made by a board of directors including donors and faculty who have helped develop the program.
Though PI will offer only four spots this year, the interest generated so far has encouraged Sen and Kamal to expand the program in the future. Future plans also include expanding placements to areas outside of Delhi and adding a summer program for undergraduates.
"India is an emerging world power and the world's biggest democracy," Kamal said. "There are so many things about India that are attractive to students. A lot of people want to do something in India."
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