Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award Recipient: Mangala Nanda, IEP'09

Mangala Nanda's interest in education is fueled by her frustration with the inequity in education systems and access to education. Following commencement, Nanda, Ed.M.'09, hopes her path will take her back to her native India, where she will work toward leveling the education playing fields around the world.

"Mangala is an exemplar representative of students in the International Education Policy Program (IEP), as they balance academic excellence with an ethical commitment to using their talent to serve the children most in need around the world," says Professor Fernando Reimers, IEP program director. "In classes Mangala was always consistently well prepared, advancing the discussion several levels forward because of the quality of her ideas and insights. [She] has volunteered in countless ways to enrich the education of her peers and professors. Her commitment to advancing human rights, peace education, and global education inspire us all."

Upon learning that she had been honored with the Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award for the IEP Program, Nanda answered some questions about her time at the Ed School and beyond.

What are your post-HGSE plans?
My short term plans involve returning to [my current home in] London, where I will substitute teach and prepare myself for the world's first charity run in which everyone taking part must wear an inflatable sumo suit - I'm pretty excited about it!

As far as longer term plans go, I want to return to India, where I grew up. It is an exciting time to work in India as there is so much momentum to improve the quality of education, and a great deal of innovative and interesting work is already happening there. My interests are in civic education and teacher professional development so I would love my job to encompass some aspects of those.

What is something that you learned at HGSE that you will take with you throughout your career in education?
I think one of the main takeaways from the IEP Program is the value in comparative study when addressing issues of education. We have so much to learn from each other. At the same time, another key lesson is that context is critical; simply transplanting models or programs from one country or region to another isn't the solution. My studies at HGSE have given me an appreciation for this, and helped me clarify to the processes needed in order to develop effective and relevant education policy.

Is there any class that you wish you could have taken, but couldn't fit in?
Yes, several! In particular, this semester I really wanted to take Civic Identity & Education in a Multicultural Context. I started the class and loved it, but I had to drop it; there just aren't enough hours in the day. I'm also oddly sad that I won't be able to take Applied Data Analysis, the follow up to Intermediate Statistics which I did this semester. Who would have predicted I'd begin to find joy in regression analysis?

Any special study spots on campus (or off)?
I love the patio on the fourth floor in Gutman. My final group projects were almost exclusively completed there. Sunshine, friends, snacks and drinks... Apart from the work, it felt like a picnic!

If you could transport one person/place/thing in Harvard Square to your next destination, what would it be?
I'm really going to miss my wonderful IEP cohort. If I could transport all 56 of them to my next destination that would be pretty great (though I foresee there might be some logistical difficulties in making that happen!).