Indian-American wins UK’s prestigious 2024 Marshall Scholarship

London, Dec 13  An Indian-origin student is among 51 winners of the prestigious 2024 Marshall Scholarship, which selects American scholars to pursue their graduate education at any university in the UK.

Bengaluru-born Hari Choudhari, a student of International Politics with minors in History and German at Georgetown University, will begin his graduate studies in September 2024 under the programme that saw 1006 applications from across the US this year.

As a Marshall Scholar, he will study Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen’s University Belfast, followed by an MSc in Global Leadership and Peacebuilding at King’s College London.

“I am so proud that this year’s set of Marshall Scholars represent the diversity and richness of our region,” said Emma Wade Smith, Trade Commissioner for North America and British Consul General in New York, announcing the scholarships on Monday.

“From science and mathematics to linguistics, artificial intelligence, energy and sustainability, migration studies, these young leaders have already impressed with their robust academic training; and they have demonstrated real promise in terms of their career trajectories,” Smith added.

Currently, Hari has been involved in multiple internships over the course of his college career, including the Center for Cross-Border Studies in Northern Ireland and the Meridian International Center.

He is currently a Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS) intern with the Political Section at the US Consulate-General in Munich, Germany and will be interning in Congress with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs next semester.

His research on German security policy was published by the American-German Institute.

“It’s clear that throughout his undergraduate career, Hari has been shaping himself into a future expert of conflict and peacekeeping,” said Lauren Tuckley, Center for Research and Fellowships Director, Georgetown University.

“At every turn, he has taken opportunities to further understand the complexities of conflict, both in the classroom and outside of it.”

The Georgetown University said in a statement that through the Marshall Scholarship, Hari will be “learning from UK scholars invested in making grassroots peacebuilding a priority and preparing himself for a career in policymaking”.

Among this year’s Marshall Scholarship class are aspiring diplomats, doctors, fighter pilots and scientists.

Half of the 2024 class will pursue STEM-related degrees, including several who will study issues relating to the ethics and advancement of Artificial Intelligence.

The UK government said in a statement that the focus on attracting America’s top young scientific minds reflects its effort to transform Britain into a “Science & Technology Superpower” by 2030.

The 2024 class will take up their studies at 18 different institutions across the UK starting next September, ranging from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to Loughborough University in Leicestershire.

With over 2,200 scholarships awarded to date, the programme began in 1953 as a gesture of gratitude to the people of the US for the assistance that the UK received after World War II under the Marshall Plan.