Selection and First Couple of Weeks at Ashoka Lodha Genius Programme

• Rhea Chadha - 11th Grade Shiv Nadar School, Noida

Selection and First Couple of Weeks at Ashoka Lodha Genius Programme

I was very excited to be selected for the Lodha Genius Programme at Ashoka University this summer.

The programme, which revolves around Math, Science and Arts, is a month-long certified programme with a highly selective application process (only about 100 students were selected based on an analytical test, individual applications and principal recommendations). A joint venture between the Lodha and Ashoka for High Schoolers, it ensures that children of grades 9 -12 have the opportunity to understand what it is like to work in STEM fields and gain access to some of the best facilities in the world.

The experience has definitely lived up to the expectations. The first 15 days staying on Ashoka University’s campus for the Lodha Genius Programme (LGP) have been fantastic. Living on campus, getting an idea of college life and interacting with so many clever, like-minded students from all over the country are aspects of the programme I have really enjoyed so far.

Here are some of the highlights of the program for me over the past couple of weeks:

Jack Szostak, a Nobel Laureate, spoke to us about how life first emerged on earth, and how chemical building blocks of biology were formed and then spontaneously assembled into the first very simple cells.

Yamuna Krishnan is a researcher in the field of Chemical Biology at the University of Chicago. She spoke to us about her research journey in cell organelles and DNA nanodevices that her lab has worked on. These nanodevices could potentially be used to deliver therapeutics with organelle-level precision in whole animals.

Abhishek Lodha, Founder of the Lodha Group, came to visit the Ashoka campus along with Ashoka's Co-Founder and Chairman, Pramath Raj Sinha. They shared with us their thoughts on the idea of this programme and all the amazing people who came to put this together for us. I also enjoyed speaking with Vinti Lodha, who I had a brief interaction with regarding my stay and the programme so far.

This was one of my favourite parts! All students got the opportunity to assemble their own telescopes and see the Moon and Venus through them. Apart from these, I enjoyed swimming, walking and cycling around campus with my friends. Here’s to the next half of the programme being even better!