Ayan’s Baggage to & from Oxford
We asked our scholars to go back to the moment they packed their luggage in preparation for their journey to Oxford. But instead of clothes and books, we asked them to think about the stories, people, memories, hopes, and all immaterial things that they would put inside. We also wanted to know what they would probably like to add to their baggage when leaving Oxford. Find other stories in this series here.
Born in rural India into a family of Gandhian nationalists and social-eco entrepreneurs, I was deeply ingrained with values of social justice. Growing up watching documentaries on National Geographic and Discovery Channels, I developed a strong sense of environmentalism, learning just as much about the diversity and wonders of nature as I did about the degradation and destruction of it. My formative years also coincided with my peoples’ struggle to overcome resource-based social exclusion in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, eventually leading to its bifurcation and the creation of my state, Telangana.
My undergraduate education and work in Canada made me mindful of analogous occurrences and patterns globally, highlighting the fundamental tensions between agendas of development and sustainability. Hence, I bring to Oxford a passion to address issues of inequality through environmental governance. I am driven by a strong sense of urgency, restlessness for affirmative climate action, and a burning desire to learn to navigate the politics of the environment in order to equitably address social and environmental issues. Although I am very clear about the kind of impact I want to generate, I still seek clarity regarding the means to realise these aspirations.
I believe that the combination of my Oxford education and the WHT leadership program, particularly its Enterprise Challenge, will hone my abilities and equip me with the tools and techniques to bring about the imminent transformation. I come to Oxford with an open mind, receptive and eager to absorb like a sponge, ready to learn from the diverse background and experiences of my fellow WHT scholars, NSEG classmates, professors and mentors. When I leave Oxford, having forged enduring bonds and global networks to coactively foster change, I hope to carry back with me the memories of a lifetime.
