Though I have been teaching and lecturing in India now for more than 15 years, I truly felt the excitement of being in a thorough academic environment only when I was at Harvard. Being a student on one side and a teaching assistant on the other gave me perspectives from both sides of the fence. It was at Harvard that I could fathom the dynamics of a classroom in an American setting. The year that I spent in the US then truly helped me hone and fine-tune my teaching and training skills. I had used that year to lecture at more than half a dozen universities and realized my own potential and passion for teaching. I was happy when I was appointed as Adjunct Professor at the University of Iowa and Cornell University some time back.
I am given to understand that being appointed to a named and endowed professorship in an Ivy League University like Cornell is truly prestigious. I felt happy and privileged to receive a formal appointment as the Frank H T Rhodes Visiting Professor of Cornell University a couple of days ago from Dr David Skorton, the President of the University. This visiting professorship will necessitate my presence for a week or two at the University for the next three-year duration of my appointment. This position is considered as a full-faculty position and should help keep my intellectual and academic pursuits alive and vibrant. I will be spending most of my time with the undergraduates there and plan on sharing my views on Globalization, Leadership, Managing and Governing NGOs, Poverty and Development, and Global Health. I am indeed looking forward to not only expanding on my own understanding of these subjects, but also using the opportunity to build a larger academic partnership in line with the spirit of universalism.
I am looking forward to this assignment and feel blessed and touched by the wishes and support expressed by all my friends and well wishers.
– Balu
