Winds of change

Updated on: Wednesday, September 23, 2009

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. Ankur Garg, who has completed a BTech from the Delhi Technological University (DTU) this year, is a firm believer. For years he worked for many environment-friendly engineering projects, however, he says, "They did not see the light of the day. There is abundance of green technology waiting to be launched in the market but a lot of politics spins around the world in the name of climate change. And I want to influence policies related to technology."

For this reason, Garg has opted to do an MPhil in technology policy in Cambridge University, UK. He is one of the scholars to receive the Shell Centenary Chevening and Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Scholarship this year. At the age of 22, he got admission in both Cambridge and Oxford University to pursue courses of his choice. "I got the option to pursue environment change management in Oxford University. But I want to work in the area of environment policy. So Cambridge was the obvious choice. Moreover, it will be an honour to study in an institution that has given many innovative ideas to the world. I will be studying at a time when the university is celebrating its 800year," he says.

An environment-engineering student, Garg has been active in the field of climate change since the time he entered college. After completing class XII, he got a studentship to work as a research assistant in the University of Sydney, Australia, for four months. "I worked on glacial lakes project. During my college years, too, I was working with professors of IIT-Delhi on various green-technology projects. But there is no ecosystem to support such projects and launch them in the market," he laments.

Garg was also selected as part of the Indian Youth Delegation at United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. "Once I was there I realised a lot could be changed at the policy-level to bring in green technology in the market. It is for this reason, I opted to pursue MPhil in technology policy instead of selecting the usual path to do an MBA or specialising in engineering," he adds.

As to his success, he says, "For a scholarship like Chevening, I think along with academic credentials, you need to have a wider portfolio of credits. They look for candidates who have a clear vision and leadership qualities. I think all the Chevening Scholars I met are very special and have done something unique."

Timesofindia

Winds of change

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