QF: Georgetown Student Represents QF at Clinton Global Initiative University Meeting on COVID

Kartikeya Uniyal, a student at QF partner Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) and a member of the 2020 Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U), took part in the virtual convening of the program, an online event that featured President Bill Clinton and Chelsea Clinton and focused on ways college students can make a difference during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Kartikeya, an international student from New Delhi, was one of a select group of undergraduate and graduate students from around the globe who were chosen by CGI U to develop “Commitments to Action” — social impact projects that address pressing challenges on campus or in local and global communities. The program offers leadership development, mentorship, skills training, and partnership building to bring the idea into action. 

In response to the ongoing pandemic, Kartikeya modified his original project focused on assisting local governments in rural India to govern more effectively, to become a digital platform that provides a 5-week needs assessment and training program aimed at strengthening local political units and encouraging political participation among youth in India.

“The crisis meant that launching the project on the ground wasn’t going to be possible. But the pandemic presented another opportunity to make a difference,” said Kartikeya, referring to the need to support village-level crisis response efforts. “Due to lack of experience or formal training, many people on the local level don’t have access to resources that are essential to deal with this unprecedented crisis. It is my hope that the online version of my action plan can have an impact by connecting local efforts to available resources, in order to improve health and economic outcomes at the local level.” He hopes to launch the digital program as soon as technical issues are finalized.

President Clinton opened the event by encouraging young leaders to keep asking themselves questions about what they want to learn and how they can help. At the virtual meeting, participating students also heard from key government and health leaders, including U.S. state governors, members of congress, UN special envoys, and scholars and experts in the medical field.

Virtual breakout sessions over the following days allowed Kartikeya to meet with other CGI U members working to create impact in South Asia. “It was very helpful to share ideas, to share best practices, and to seek out areas of collaboration,” he said.

The CGI U meeting at the University of Edinburgh was originally slated to take place in April 2020 but was postponed to spring 2021. Kartikeya, along with the entire 2020 cohort of the program, will have the opportunity to attend next year’s meeting.