Public Policy Alumna Earns Prestigious Fellowship to University of Melbourne

Mandira Kala, PhD, an alumna of the PhD Program in Public Policy, has earned a prestigious fellowship from the Australia India Institute (AII) which allows her to spend eight weeks in residence at the University of Melbourne. Mandria was one of 12 emerging leaders chosen from more than 150 applicants from India. In addition to a stipend of $10,000, the award includes funds for airfare, accommodations, and office space at the university.

Begun in 2009, the Emerging Leader Fellowships Program seeks mid-career Indian professionals who are capable of becoming future leaders in India. The purpose of the award is to contribute to greater understanding, cooperation and partnership between India and Australia. 

According to her faculty mentor, Professor Elizabeth Bussiere of the Political Science Department, “This fellowship program brings together people in government, business, journalism, academia, think tanks, and many diverse fields and gives them training that helps them to translate and to disseminate policy research and findings to government officials so that the latter know how to make the research actionable. This is just the sort of goal that Mandira had when she started her doctorate in 2004, so it's great that she was chosen for this award.” According to Mandira, “This fellowship will really help me move along in my career trajectory --- and to derive much meaning and fulfillment from my work.”

After earning her PhD, Mandira returned to her native India and accepted a managerial position in New Delhi. She heads the legislative engagement and training unit at PRS Legislative Research, an independent non-partisan research center offering legal and policy research support to Members of Parliament (MPs) in India.  PRS is the Indian equivalent of our own Congressional Research Service in Washington, DC.

Kudos to Mandira from her friends and colleagues at McCormack Graduate School.