Two students from Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) in India have been granted the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship to pursue their Master’s degrees at Stanford University in the United States. Akshatha Kamath, a Computer Science and Engineering student from the 2021 batch, and Dhruv Suri, an Aeronautical Engineering student from the 2020 batch, were selected for this prestigious award. MIT is affiliated with the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE).
The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program aims to create a diverse community of emerging leaders from various backgrounds and nationalities, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to address complex global challenges.
Out of the 76 students representing 26 countries who were accepted into the program this year, Akshatha Kamath and Dhruv Suri are the only two students chosen from India.
Akshatha Kamath, originally from Udupi, will pursue a Master’s degree in Education Data Science at Stanford Graduate School of Education. She is passionate about developing personalized learning solutions to meet diverse educational needs. Akshatha has previously developed medical technologies and won the MIT Covid-19 Challenge. She also emerged as a winner at the Stanford Health ++ Hackathon at Stanford University, with support from the Dr TMA Pai Endowment Chair in Health Informatics, Manipal.
Dhruv Suri, hailing from Delhi, will pursue a Master’s degree in Energy Resources Engineering at Stanford School of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences. He aims to work at the intersection of energy and climate and contribute to overcoming access barriers faced by vulnerable communities in India and other developing countries. Dhruv is a co-founder of Candela Energy, an organization focused on providing life-improving products to rural villages through last-mile distribution. He has previously received recognition from ETH Student Project House in Switzerland and EarthTech in Australia.
HS Ballal, the Pro-Chancellor of MAHE, congratulated Akshatha Kamath and Dhruv Suri on their achievement, recognizing their exceptional talent and innovative mindset. He emphasized that their dedication to education, entrepreneurial spirit, and genuine concern for society align perfectly with the vision of MAHE.
Lt Gen (retd) MD Venkatesh, the Vice-Chancellor of MAHE, expressed his pride in the students’ success, highlighting MAHE’s consistent representation among the world’s best. He extended his best wishes to Akshatha Kamath and Dhruv Suri, looking forward to more achievements from MAHE students in the future.
