South Asian Studies Program

The Fellows Program offers limited funding for the development of creative projects aimed at building ties between Brandeis University and Indian alumni, partners, and organizations. India Fellows projects can be carried out as part of a summer internship, study abroad program, research project, or volunteer program. Awards range from $500 – $2000, and can be used in addition to other university funding as well as personal and external funding.

You can click to view a list of possible internship and project sites.

Brandeis offers a number of funded internship opportunities for students. Learn more on the Hiatt Career Center website.

To learn more about possible internship and project site leads in various cities/areas of India, please visit the Project Internship and Site Leads page. Brandeis alumni, parents, and friends have submitted this information to us. Please let us know if you do pursue these leads so that we can update the alumni and friends who submitted them. If you are interested in having your organization include in this list, please contact southasianstudies@brandeis.edu.

The Office of Study Abroad has a number of approved programs across India, including Bangalore, Delhi, Pune, and Jaipur. Visit their program search engine to learn more.

The Brandeis South Asian Students Association (SASA) represents the eight South Asian countries. The goal of the club is to educate the Brandeis community of this culturally rich part of the world. They produce the largest annual cultural show on campus, MELA, offer a number of different arts, crafts and pastimes at Desi Fest, and organize a number of other activities including various charity dances, discussions, socials and dinners.

The South Asia Summer Language Institute (SASLI) offers elementary and intermediate levels of modern South Asian languages, as well as Sanskrit. SASLI prepares students for subsequent training domestically and abroad. SASLI is currently held on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Students may only register for one language per summer. This 8-week program offers the equivalent of two full semesters of academic study. SASLI participants MUST complete the two consecutive 4-week sessions for a total of eight weeks. Upon completion of the program, students will receive 8 credits and a letter grade (A-F).

The American India Foundation’s William J. Clinton Fellowship for Service in India offers the opportunity to capable candidates from India and the US to work on tangible and sustainable projects in the social and developmental sector in India. The Fellows are matched (on the basis of their interest and experience) with and placed at credible and high impact organizations in the social sector for a duration of 10 months where they will work on scalable and sustainable projects. The fellowship provides a prestigious platform to develop the skills, resources and the network needed to become the next generation of leaders with a social conscience. It also provides the opportunity for individuals to connect and learn from India’s various and diverse cultures, people and geographies.

The Fellowship is fully funded, providing a living stipend and covering all costs associated with travel to the placement.

Eligibility: The Fellowship program welcomes diversity in the program whether you are a working professional looking to for a change to serve society, a recent graduate trying to establish your career, or a researcher looking for the opportunity to get hands on field experience. The applicant should:

• Be 21 to 34 years of age
• Have Indian citizenship, US citizenship or US permanent residency
• Have completed their undergraduate/bachelor's degree before the start of the Fellowship

For further information and enquiries, please contact fellowship@aif.org. To learn more about the current Fellows and their field experiences, including Brandeis alum Sriya Srikrishnan ’12, visit the AIF Fellowship blog.

Teach For India is a nationwide movement of outstanding college graduates and young professionals who teach full time in low income schools for two years. The Fellowship enables them to become lifelong leaders advocating for educational equity. Teach for India wants students like YOU, to get involved and interested in the movement. As Brandeis students we have a lot to offer to such children back in India and combined with the Brandeisian theme of social justice we can have a huge impact on the eradication of educational inequity in one of the most vibrant countries of the world.

Eligibility: Students and professionals with a bachelor’s degree at the time of joining the Fellowship are invited to apply. Applicants need to be either of Indian citizenship or of Indian origin.