YIF Invites Applications for the First Cohort of the New Decade

BENGALURU:
Ashoka University today announced that the second and final round of applications to the eleventh cohort of its flagship programme, the Young India Fellowship (YIF) are open till 12 th April 2021. Started in 2011, the Young India Fellowship (YIF) grooms socially conscious leaders and change-makers for the 21st century. A fully residential one-year multidisciplinary postgraduate diploma in liberal studies, it exposes Fellows to multiple academic and professional avenues within a year.

All interested individuals are required to complete an online application. Applications are evaluated holistically and shortlisted for an online writing test and a personal interview. Shortlisted candidates also get an opportunity to apply for financial aid. There are relaxations on document submissions at the time of applying, and the entire admission process will be online, to ensure social distancing and safety in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Candidates who have a recognized undergraduate degree in any discipline (can be final-year students at the time of application), and are no more than 28 years of age on 1st August 2021 are eligible to apply. Candidates may have work experience and/or postgraduate degree, and can be from any academic or professional background.

Highlighting the course, Aniha Brar, Dean, The Young India Fellowship, said “The YIF came into the higher education landscape a decade ago as an unprecedented offering. The programme was built around an exceptional cohort, great faculty, and an emphasis on writing, critical thinking and real-world projects. The strength of the YIF lies in not resting on its legacy, but always reinventing itself to remain an outstanding offering at Ashoka University.”

According to Karan Bhola, YIF ’14, Director, Outreach and Admissions, Founding President, Ashoka Alumni Association, fully-online and holistic admissions process allows applicants to reflect on their own journeys and bring out their most authentic selves at various stages. We look forward to building a diverse and outstanding 11th cohort, one that will graduate with interdisciplinary perspectives and competencies that would be critical for meaningful post-pandemic careers in industry, academia, entrepreneurship or anywhere else. Having been a Fellow myself, I am acutely aware of how transformational the YIF can be for young people.

Ashoka University provides a need-based Financial Aid programme for selected candidates. It aims to provide necessary financial support to bridge the gap between the cost of the programme and their ability to pay. Need based aid will be offered in the form of fee waivers, ranging from 25% relaxation on tuition to 100% of the entire fee including residence and meals.

For the past decade, the Young India Fellowship (YIF) at Ashoka University has been training students in the study of Liberal Arts and Sciences, exposing them to new ways of problem solving and thinking, preparing them to be ready for impactful careers. With an ever diversifying set of faculty members from Harvard, Yale, ISB, University of Delhi, among others, the Fellowship opens its doors to 200 students this year.

With a growing need to solve increasingly complex problems, many individuals in their 20s are now looking to expand beyond a streamlined degree. This is where a study of the Liberal Arts and Sciences becomes increasingly important. With an eye towards a broad education for students and young professionals, a Liberal Arts degree provides exposure to public policy, history, leadership, strategy, fine arts, media, communication, and many more such fields. Liberal Arts encourages the precision required to build corporate strategy, while also exposing one to the grassroots of India’s complex social structure. A degree in the Liberal Arts is a must have to effectively master holistic skills required to succeed in today’s day and age.