Hyderabad, 11^TH November 2020: In an endeavor to make public policy education an essential part of broader reform for higher education in India, the Kautilya School of Public Policy has been established in Hyderabad. Affiliated to Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management, popularly known as GITAM (www.gitam.edu), the school is founded with the vision to “Rebalance the role of Society, Government, and Business towards an Equitable and Regenerative India and the World”.

The school aims to nurture and encourage new-age leaders who undertake rigorous public policy education and apply the lessons to solve India’s 21st-century problems. It is envisioned to fulfil the urgent need for evidence-based policy making in the country and offer education at par with any IVY League institute. The newly established campus is spread across 24,500 sq.ft area coupled with all sophisticated facilities and technology, makes it one of the most contemporary institutes in India. Kautilya is designed as a non-hierarchical, interactive space to enable learning and knowledge sharing.

The institute has a founding team consisting of alumni from Stanford, the Harvard Kennedy School, and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM)) along with an eminent Executive board. The founding team includes M. Sri Bharat, President, GITAM Deemed to be University, Prateek Kanwal, Co-founder, Kautilya School of Public Policy, and Sridhar Pabbisetty, Founding Director, Kautilya School of Public Policy. 

Rathin Roy, Economist and Director NIPFP said ‘The canvas of public policy is going to broaden far beyond the government and its instruments and agencies’.

Steve Jarding, Former Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School and a global political campaign consultant said, ‘ India needs a school of public policy that affects change, one that instils in next-generation leaders the idea that service is a responsibility that every human being has a responsibility to serve’.

M. Sri Bharat, President, GITAM said, “Today, our country does not only need capable leaders, but people who can steer the growth which we believe is possible through effective public policy education. Coming from a background of public life over generations and a keen interest in nurturing the future of the country through education, Kautilya is a step towards moldings the leaders of tomorrow. Through the institution, our aim is to bring a global quality curriculum addressing the lack of evidence-based education in public policy with experienced faculties and industry experts.”

Kautilya will have a multidisciplinary program curriculum and structure geared for academic depth as well as practical application. There will be a dedicated focus on quality engagement with Business, Government, and Society on public policy and inclusive growth. The institute will offer world-class infrastructure backed with technology and access to top minds in the field of public policy to enrich the learning experience and campus life.

Prateek Kanwal, Co-founder, Kautilya School of Public Policy said, “My experience of studying at Harvard Kennedy School and running Citizens for Public Leadership made me realize the need of evidence based policy making in India and the need to develop public policy professionals who can solve India’s most pressing problems. With strong expertise in academics and practitioners from diverse backgrounds, an interdisciplinary curriculum at par with Ivy League schools of the West, blended with our rich culture and value system, we are excited to offer an enriched learning experience to aspirants who wish to develop an expertise in the field of public policy”

Sridhar Pabbisetty, Founding Director, Kautilya School of Public Policy, added “Kautilya will help graduates carve out forward-looking roles for themselves across industries and sectors involving government policies. Our holistic focus on Research, Consulting, Executive Education and Teaching continuum will enable our partners, faculty and students to find innovative solutions to complex public policy problems of the world.” 

Kautilya is all set to offer a 2-year residential Master’s in Public Policy (MPP) Program with a unique mix of core courses, electives, skill shops and specializations, with a batch of 60 commencing July 2021. The applications for MPP will be open from 30th November 2020. Management Development Programs for working professionals will be launched starting January 2021.

The Executive Board at Kautilya includes Anil Swarup, a retired Indian Administrative Service officer and an author, Dilip Cherian, Communications consultant, political campaign advisor, Indermit Gill, non-resident senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution, M. V. Rajeev Gowda, an Indian politician and academician, Navtej Singh Sarna, Former Indian Foriegn Services Officer and an author-columnist, Nidhi Razdan, Associate Professor at Harvard University and Ex- Executive Editor, NDTV, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Indian politician serving as Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra and Deputy Leader of Shiv Sena, Ram Mohan Naidu, Indian politician and a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha constituency), Andhra Pradesh, Rathin Roy, Economist and Director NIPFP, and Steve Jarding, Former Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School and a global political campaign consultant.