What does it take to prepare the next generation of climate leaders? Not just lectures or field visits, but an experience that brings together science, economics, policy, technology, governance and communities. This July, 15 University of Chicago College students explored more than 20 sessions, five field immersions, and countless conversations with researchers, policymakers and practitioners across Delhi and Ahmedabad, discovering that climate action is best understood where ideas meet reality.
Designed as an immersive learning experience, the program brought together students from UChicago and Ahmedabad University to explore one of the defining challenges of our time: How can countries like India balance economic growth and development with climate action?
A joint initiative of the UChicago Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth and Career Advancement, with the Climate Institute at Ahmedabad University, the program was designed to move beyond theory. Over two weeks, fellows engaged with researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and practitioners working at the forefront of climate and energy policy, while gaining first-hand exposure to India’s rapidly evolving climate landscape.
“This fellowship gave me a ground-level view of climate challenges I’d only studied in the abstract before, from presenting on methane capture at Ahmedabad’s Pirana landfill to sitting in on EPIC India sessions on emissions trading,” said Fellow Alexander Antelman, ’29. “Moving between field sites and policy discussions showed me how questions of infrastructure, energy, and growth are inseparable in a place like India, and it’s reshaped how I think about the economics of climate solutions.”
The journey began in Delhi, where fellows were introduced to India’s climate and energy transition through discussions on air pollution, emissions markets, clean energy, and public policy.
One of the sessions that generated particular interest focused on the Emissions Market Accelerator, where fellows engaged with the principles behind market-based approaches to reducing industrial pollution. As participants explored how research can shape policy design, they also grappled with the complexities of implementing climate solutions at scale.
“At the UChicago Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth, we believe the next generation of climate leaders must understand not only the science of climate change, but also how research translates into real-world solutions,” said Kaushik Deb, Executive Director of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago’s India team (EPIC India). “The India Summer Fellows Program is designed to bring future thinkers from both the Universities — Chicago and Ahmedabad — to a common ground, where they can engage directly with cutting-edge climate research, interact with leading researchers and practitioners, and experience first-hand how evidence informs policy and action. These experiences equip students with the perspectives they will need to tackle global climate challenges.”
Following several days of learning about EPIC India, the fellows traveled to Ahmedabad, where they explored the many dimensions of climate action through an equally interdisciplinary lens, hosted at Ahmedabad University. Bringing together faculty, researchers, policymakers, economists, scientists, and practitioners, the program highlighted that understanding climate change requires drawing on diverse disciplines and perspectives.
“The India Summer Fellows Program brings together an interdisciplinary cohort of students with an equally interdisciplinary group of faculty, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners,” said Minal Pathak, Academic Director of the Climate Institute at Ahmedabad University. “Combined with immersive field experiences, it allows participants to engage with climate and development not just as a concept, but as a lived reality. That blend of diverse perspectives and on-the-ground learning is what makes this fellowship unique.”
Sessions led by experts from EPIC India, Ahmedabad University, the Sustainable Futures Collaborative, King’s College London, the Data Policy Innovation Centre and other partner institutions examined climate change through multiple lenses. Fellows explored the physical science underpinning climate change, the history of global climate governance and the interconnected challenges of energy, emissions, air pollution, water security and public health. They examined how cities can respond to rising heat and flooding, why housing and climate justice matter for vulnerable communities and how sustainable mobility and resilient infrastructure shape urban futures.
Economic sessions unpacked the costs of climate change, climate finance, carbon markets and market-based approaches to reducing emissions, while discussions on data science and machine learning highlighted the growing role of technology in climate research and policymaking. The program also explored the politics of climate action, heritage conservation in a changing climate and the critical role of communication, visual storytelling and public engagement in building trust and translating evidence into action.
Throughout the program, fellows visited organizations working on climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation and sustainable urban development. Interactions with innovators, entrepreneurs, and community organizations, including visits to initiatives such as beekeeping organization Project Adopt a Queen, demonstrated how local action, scientific evidence, and policy can work together to create lasting environmental impact. These experiences provided valuable insights into the practical realities of implementing climate solutions, while highlighting the importance of collaboration across governments, researchers, civil society and local communities.
Adding to this, Deb said, “This is precisely what we had aimed to achieve when we launched the India Summer Fellows Program last year. We hoped to inspire bright young minds from across disciplines to see climate not as a niche subject, but as a lens through which they understand development and shape the choices they make in their careers. Seeing that vision begin to take shape is incredibly encouraging.”
The program also encouraged fellows to learn from one another. Group discussions, collaborative projects and informal exchanges created opportunities to challenge assumptions, compare perspectives, and appreciate the interdisciplinary nature of climate problem-solving. Whether debating the political economy of adaptation, exploring the promise and limitations of artificial intelligence in climate research or reflecting on how heritage and local knowledge can strengthen resilience, participants were encouraged to think critically about both opportunities and trade-offs.
By the end of the program, students had developed a holistic understanding of climate change, not as a single environmental challenge but as one that cuts across disciplines. As the second cohort concludes its almost month-long journey, the India Summer Fellows Program continues to strengthen an important bridge between global scholarship and local action.
“I’ve learned so much, not just from engaging lectures, but also from hands-on field visits and from working on projects with the Ahmedabad University students to create tangible solutions to climate challenges such as the clean energy transition, heatwaves, flooding and air quality,” said Fellow Najath Mahonaj, ’28. “I leave this fellowship with lifelong friendships and a new perspective on climate impacts and solutions that I will take with me to the environmental data science field.”