Name:
Atibhi Sharma
pronouns: she/her
What is your hometown?
Navi Mumbai, India
Program at BU?
MA Economic Policy
Please briefly introduce yourself, what’s your background, where are you from, why are you studying at BU GRS?
As a young student, I was moved by a fictitious story of the village of Palampur’ in India, a self-sustained economy with every child having access to education and healthcare but with no means of employment after completing secondary education. This gave me a new perspective on understanding my everyday surroundings. I could imagine the lives led by people with different socio-economic backgrounds and I was motivated to learn more about it and find solutions. I have training in statistics and economics, and I wish to apply these learnings in Public Policy.
I aim to focus my research in economic policy to promote societal growth through using policy to solve public problems. With my strong foundation in math and statistics from University of Mumbai in India, I want to explore how a data-driven approach can facilitate policy making. Internships, field-surveys and theoretical concepts studied in the classroom have exposed me to how unequal access and lack of resources shapes a society. I am now aiming to develop skills that can take me from identifying the problems to forming solutions to those problems.
Why did you choose to come to BU for your graduate degree?
Boston offers ample opportunities for young scholars to explore opportunities. I was very inspired by Esther Duflo and Abhijeet Banerjee’s foundation: J-PAL , a development focused research organization, and I wanted to study in the city that had the first J-PAL office. With BU’s amazing Economic Policy program and the school’s history, it was the perfect fit for me.
What are your favorite spots on the BU Campus?
My favorite spot on campus is the BU Beach and all campus buildings on Bay State Road.
What is your favorite part about attending BU and studying in the US?
The opportunity to travel, to meet new people with different backgrounds, and to work with people who have different research interests than my own. Additionally, when I came to the US, I had a very myopic view of development in terms of its scope and the definition of what improvement could mean. Living here has helped me expand my scope of research and interests.
How is life in Boston?
It has been fun! I have really enjoyed Cambridge and Newbury Street for food, shopping and the crowds!
What do you hope to do after you graduate?
Find a job in the world of research and consulting! I’m just hoping to get a chance to work on more economic projects and be part of something bigger than what I have done so far.