Wesleyan College Establishes India Advisory Board to Promote Women's Education

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

4 May 2024

MUMBAI, INDIA - Wesleyan College is pleased to announce the establishment of its India Advisory Board at the Women in Leadership Conference in Mumbai. With the shared goal of moving the needle on gender parity through education, the board will seek to open opportunities for the Indian girls to pursue higher education.

Led by distinguished leaders from across a variety of sectors, the India Advisory Board brings together expertise and passion to empower women through education. They will also seek to address unique challenges and opportunities faced by women in the region.

"We believe that education is the cornerstone of empowerment," said Meaghan Blight, President of Wesleyan College. "By establishing this board, we can work together to accelerate equity for women globally and create pathways for Indian women to access quality education and become leaders in their fields."

The establishment of the India Advisory Board underscores Wesleyan College's ongoing commitment to women's empowerment on a global scale. The advisory board members include: 

Nidhi Bhasin, CEO, NASSCOM Foundation, is a social development sector professional with over two decades of experience. An alumnus of the prestigious Delhi School of Social Work (Delhi University), Nidhi wears many hats and has proven skills in program and team management, regulatory understanding of CSR law, finance and compliance, among others. Nidhi is extremely passionate about providing equal opportunities to all, technology for social good, and women and youth development. 

Ruchee Anand, Senior Director - Talent, L&E Solutions, LinkedIn has a mission to revolutionize how companies hire, develop, and engage talent, fueling their growth in innovative ways. She is a fervent advocate for diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. With a career spanning over two decades, Ruchee’s expertise in the talent economy is backed by diverse leadership roles at organizations like Info Edge-Naukri.com, AuthBridge, and GTL Limited. Her dedication to women’s advancement in their careers shines through her initiatives and leadership roles, particularly in the “Women in LinkedIn” group and “Women in Sales'' community. She also serves as a regional council member (Mumbai) at NASSCOM contributing to the development of the IT industry in Western India.

Dr. Anuradha Das, Nuclear Physicist & Director, Garden High International School, Kolkata has spent 44 years in the field of education. She has a B.Sc, M.Sc & Ph.D in High Energy Nuclear Physics from Jadavpur University, Kolkata and completed Postdoctoral work with foreign collaborations like CERN (Geneva) and FERMILAB (USA). She has presented papers at international conferences in Europe and India. She is a great motivator for young girls to achieve their passion in STEM programs.

Dr. Natasha Mehta, Head, Academic Research and Development, Lighthouse Learning Pvt Ltd has been in the education space for the last 30 years. Her experience ranges across a spectrum of the learning ecosystems. She has authored 52 books in science and English, for the Indian national boards and Cambridge Education, including with Pearson and Marshall Cavendish, Singapore. She has also worked in the not for profit space as Head of Academics for Aga Khan Education Services. In her present role, she manages the academic research and development of K-12 schools in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and the Middle East.

Madhura DasGupta Sinha, Founder & CEO of Aspire For Her, a unique start-up that works to motivate women to enter and stay in the workforce. Madhura has been a banker for the last 25 years – holding leadership positions in IDFC, Standard Chartered and ANZ Grindlays Bank, after an MBA from XLRI and Electrical Engineering from Jadavpur University. Madhura was one of the 12 women across India to be awarded the British Chevening Scholarship in 2003. The organization under her leadership has been honored by awards from UN Women, Economic Times and many more.

Shally Bhasin, Partner, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co.Shally Bhasin has over 25 years of experience in Litigation. She graduated from Law Faculty, University of Delhi in 1996 and has been an Advocate on Record in the Supreme Court of India since 2004. A veteran litigator, Shally has been involved in several impactful and consequential cases. She has been engaged in legal work across several sectors such as telecom, steel, aviation, infrastructure, financial services, power, oil and gas and banking. Shally’s prowess extends to challenging regulatory directives, winning precedent- setting cases and engaging in International arbitration. She has been honored as an International Recipient of the prestigious Lex Falcon Award as a Legal Falcon.

Captain Rohit Sen Bajaj, Director, Pathways World School, Gurgaon & President and Chair (North), Association of Heads of IB World Schools in India and South Asia is a seasoned professional in the realm of education, with a career spanning over 26 years. Captain Bajaj has left an indelible mark on esteemed institutions such as The Doon School, The Lawrence School Sanawar, Oakridge International School, and currently, as the School Director at Pathways School Gurgaon. His prior tenure in the Indian Army with 85 Armed Regiment cultivating a profound sense of empathy and understanding virtues that stand as pillars in the field of education. The strategic acumen developed in the military seamlessly aligns with his capacity to design educational programs, creating environments where students not only thrive but also realize their full potential.

Wesleyan College is the first college in the world chartered to grant degrees to women. Accelerating equality for women since 1836, Wesleyan provides students with an academically rigorous education in an environment designed to build the strength and resiliency to thrive. Learn more at www.wesleyancollege.edu.