Ashoka University Launches ‘Ashoka Horizons’ Programme for High School Students

These courses will help high schoolers in building conviction in their future academic and career choices, and strengthen college applications.

Ashoka University has launched ‘Ashoka Horizons’ programme which aims to empower high school students (grade 9-12) from India and abroad. It offers them a unique opportunity to pursue future-forward micro courses that will be delivered by leading global faculty and industry experts.

These courses will help high schoolers in building conviction in their future academic and career choices, and strengthen college applications.

The certified courses are designed for a deeper exploration in a range of disciplines, 21st century skills, and general interests. They will be delivered in live interactive sessions and include a project module to give students hands-on experience, going beyond the conventional textbook-only approach.

The faculty for the ‘FutureStream’ courses is drawn from a spectrum of disciplines, such as Astrophysics, Computer Science, Biology, Entrepreneurship, Media Studies, Economics, Political Science, Philosophy, Psychology, History, among others. The ‘FutureSkill’ set of courses, such as Writing & Communication, Leadership, Collaboration, Creative Thinking or Well-Being, will be delivered by industry experts. 

Speaking about the programme, Ali Imran, Vice President (External Engagement), Ashoka University said, “Ashoka Horizons is a first-of-its-kind extensive portfolio of live and interactive online micro-courses, specially curated for high schoolers. Based on extensive research amongst students, parents and educators, these 16-hour courses are designed keeping the needs and time schedules of high schoolers in mind. The courses are taught by global faculty and industry leaders, and students get a chance to dive deeper into subjects, skills or interests, building stronger convictions and richer profiles for better college admission outcomes.”

For the upcoming December-January period, the programme is offering the following courses: 1) Psychology: Measuring the Unmeasurable 2) Writing & Communication: Crafting Your Story for Success 3) Political Science & International Relations: War, Peace, and Drones 4) Literature: The World of Romeo & Juliet 5) Our Past Through Biomolecules.

The December-January courses are led by experts such as Prof. Alok Bhattacharya, Ph.D. from JNU, recipient of Robert McNamara Fellowship (World Bank), Rockefeller Biotechnology Award, and Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize. As well as, Prof. Madhavi Menon, Ph.D. from Tufts University and author of the books 'The Law of Desire' and 'Infinite Variety: A History of Desire in India'.

The courses have been curated keeping high schoolers’ constraints in mind. They will be offered round the year, where each course will be about 16 hours long, with 4 hours of live interactive sessions each week (2 hours each on Saturdays and Sundays). Additionally, for the majority of courses, self-study is estimated to require no more than 5 hours throughout the entire duration of the course.

Read more:

• AICTE Chairman launches 'Placement Portal' for students in rural and tribal regions
• IIT Bombay Prof Soumyo Mukherji appointed as new Director for BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus