ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2025
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. This year, 60,000+ young leaders applied to join the Class of 2025 on 7,000+ campuses across 170 nations. 290+ campuses worldwide (less than 5%) were selected to host the 4,500+ Millennium Fellows.

UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT ASHWIN SUBRAMANIAN MURUGAN, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2025.
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras | Chennai, India | Advancing SDG 6 & UNAI 8

" "I am driven by the belief that engineering can be a powerful force for social good. Through innovation, we can create solutions that not only advance technology but also directly improve lives. I aim to leverage my skills to tackle critical issues such as access to clean water, ensuring engineering benefits reach those in need." "
Millennium Fellowship Project: HydroChurn
HydroChurn is a portable, self-sustaining water purification bottle. It makes unsafe or uncertain water sources drinkable using a multi-stage filtration and UV sterilization system. Water first goes through a steel mesh and a 5-micron cotton pre-filter. Then, it passes through ultrafiltration membranes, activated charcoal, and a KDF filter to remove sediments, chemicals, and contaminants. A built-in hand crank powers a dynamo that runs the internal pump and UV germicidal LEDs, so the device can operate without external electricity. The design was created to address the global shortage of safe drinking water. It is also inspired by the team's experience of getting sick after drinking from a stream. The goal is to provide an affordable, reliable, off-grid solution for trekkers, rural communities, and emergency situations.
About the Millennium Fellow
Ashwin Subramanian Murugan is a third-year Aerospace Engineering student at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. He is passionate about using engineering innovation to address global challenges in sustainability and resource access. Through his James Dyson Award-winning project HydroChurn, a portable, self-sustaining water bottle, Ashwin aims to improve access to clean drinking water in underserved communities. Beyond this, his academic work spans propulsion systems, hypersonics, and novel energy concepts. After graduation, he plans to pursue graduate research to advance sustainable and transformative engineering solutions.











