ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Four Indian-origin students named Schwarzman Scholars
The program is one of the world’s most prestigious scholarships that prepares young leaders to engage with China and global affairs.
-
Malvika Choudhary - Fri, 16, Jan 2026
- 15:14 EST
- 19
(Top L-R) Maya Prakash, Rishika Kartik (Bottom L-R) Pranav Pattatathunaduvil,, Mehakpreet Saggu / schwarzmanscholars.org
Four Indian-origin students are among the latest cohort of Schwarzman Scholars, joining an elite global group selected for leadership, academic excellence, and commitment to public service.
Rishika Kartik of Brown University, Pranav Pattatathunaduvil of Yale University, Maya Prakash of Williams College, and Mehakpreet Saggu of the University of Toronto will join the incoming cohort to pursue a fully funded one-year master’s degree at Tsinghua University in China
Also Read: Indian origin students win 2026 Marshall Scholarship
Rishika Kartik is a senior at Brown University studying biology and accessible design, an interdisciplinary program she helped develop.. A U.S. Presidential Scholar and TEDx speaker, she is the founder of Touch and Create Studios and has worked on disability and assistive technology research, including developing a healthy aging program at Hawaii’s leading Center for the Blind.
Pranav Pattatathunaduvil is a student in Yale’s Jackson School's bachelor of arts (BA) and master of public policy (MPP) in global affairs and the co-founder of the GeoTech Initiative, which focuses on the intersection of technology and international relations. He has previously interned at the U.S. State Department and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
Maya Prakash is a senior at Williams College studying economics and comparative literature. She has served as an editor of the Williams Record’s opinion section and has interned at The Washington Post. An Indian American raised in Singapore and Hong Kong and previously spent a year at Oxford through the Williams-Exeter Programme.
Mehakpreet Saggu, a Pearson Scholar at the University of Toronto, has focused her work on research and neuroscience education. Her programs have reached students across dozens of countries, and she has co-authored seven manuscripts and completed extensive clinical shadowing in neurology and oncology. She is from India.
The organization said the Class of 2026–27 was chosen from a record pool of more than 5,800 applicants worldwide. The 150 scholars represent 40 countries and 83 universities. With the new cohort, the Schwarzman Scholars network will grow to more than 1,500 alumni from 107 countries and 490 institutions.
“Our eleventh cohort is a truly impressive group that fills me with optimism,” said Stephen A. Schwarzman, founding trustee of Schwarzman Scholars. “I am hopeful that their interest in China and global affairs, coupled with their leadership potential, will create opportunities for collaboration and dialogue at Schwarzman College and beyond.”
Xue Lan, dean of Schwarzman College, said the incoming class reflects the program’s mission to prepare future global leaders.
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login