ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2021
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. In 2021, over 25,000 young leaders on 2,000+ campuses across 153 nations applied to join the Class of 2021. 136 campuses worldwide (just 6%) were selected to host the 2,000+ Millennium Fellows. The Class of 2021 is bold, innovative, and inclusive.
UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT SRIJAN KUMAR UPADHYAY, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2021.
Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Chennai, India | Advancing SDG 3 & UNAI 2
" Creativity and Technology form the most quintessential component of the work that I have been doing over the years. Being a part of the Millennium Fellowship will foster these components and bring multidimensionality to my approach. The training associated with the fellowship will enhance a more tangible social impact and, of course, be more aligned with UN sustainable goals. I look forward to learning more skills and enhance my competence. "
Millennium Fellowship Project: IITM Mental Wellness Network
IITM Mental Wellness Network is a grassroots level endeavour aimed at raising mental health support systems within the student community. We will work within the IIT Madras campus and with underprivileged students from around the city of Chennai. We planned to mobilize students into tightly-knit support groups at the intra- and inter-departmental levels so that their mental health issues can be voiced in safe spaces. We will also work towards normalizing conversations surrounding mental health and conduct campus-wide data collection drives to cater to the specific needs of students. More importantly, we shall engage in a conversation with campus administration and other stakeholders to introduce a formal mental health infrastructure as part of the healthcare facilities available to students on campus, both in terms of counselling as well as medical attention. Simultaneously, we aim to interact with school students and introduce them to issues regarding 'Mental Health' potentially helping form an inter-university mental health support system that connects major campuses in South India. IITM Mental Wellness Network ultimately wishes to constitute a dynamic network that evolves with changing needs and times, in ways that understand connections between mental health and other spheres of life, such as educational quality, or gender equality.
About the Millennium Fellow
Srijan Upadhyay is a bright student pursuing a dual degree in Data Science at IIT Madras. Having been born in a city and spent considerable years in villages, he displays characteristics of both worlds and is well aware of the disparities between the two. These left an imprint on his mind and motivated him to work towards bridging them. He believes that education and technology are his best tools for achieving equality, and his works exemplify these principles. Over the years, he has organised multiple workshops in rural areas, worked with NGOs and community radios to spread knowledge on multiple domains of importance and plans to continue them in the future. He aspires to be a professional where he can work towards these causes and contribute to the development of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
