Student Profile: Neha Lalwani, MA in International Development and Public Policy, Class of 2020

When it comes to international development efforts, Master of Arts in International Development and Policy (MAIDP) student Neha Lalwani stresses the importance of taking a holistic, community-driven approach.

“Although bettering people’s standards of living connects to more global issues, people who are struggling with access to food, healthcare, and education cannot be expected to care about global issues when their basic needs are left unmet.”

Born and raised in Mumbai, Lalwani moved to the US when she started high school. “Although my family overcame cultural and financial trouble during my coming-of-age years, I didn’t come from a philanthropic background—we didn’t really have the resources. But when I was 14, I saw CNN Heroes, which highlighted inspirational people from around the world. That sparked a dream in me to live beyond my individual existence.”

Lalwani spent a few years figuring out her path towards this goal. She majored in and worked in finance, but she felt disconnected from that “spark” she initially felt around making a positive impact in the world. “I struggled with the existential questions of whether the work I was doing was meaningful. I decided I wanted to work in development and social impact.”

In 2017, Lalwani secured a job at Dasra, the leading philanthropic foundation in India, where she leveraged her strategic thinking and project management skills to develop an adolescent empowerment program that hinged on ecosystem building and the intersectionality of outcomes. She also focused on fundraising and relationship management with major donors.

Most recently, Lalwani interned for USAID, working on innovative and market shaping solutions to global health challenges. Through USAID, Lalwani returned to India to help with the digital launch of Value Based Care (VBC), a healthcare concept based on patient outcomes instead of traditional “fee for service” healthcare models.

“Working in India has been the most incredible experience I could imagine: it sparked my decision to go to UChicago to pursue my Master of Arts in International Development and Policy. My husband, who always encourages me to make my goals even more audacious than they already are, has been extremely supportive of this decision.”

Lalwani says Harris was her top choice for three reasons:

“First, the credibility of the program. Second, the admissions team, who were always available to answer my questions. And third, and perhaps most important, the length of the program. Going to school for two more years would have been a big commitment, so one year was the perfect compromise.”

Lalwani says she is not only looking forward to learning from members of her cohort, but also gaining new skills while serving as a graduate assistant with the writing team. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work on programs that improve the writing skills of Harris students—I think it is an extremely important skill for future policy makers and development professionals.”

As for her plans after graduation, Lalwani says, “In the short term, I would like to stay in the US, because there are a lot of interesting and innovative concepts percolating in the development community that I want to understand before taking that knowledge abroad.”