Our friends at Ashoka University are hiring a Centre Director! Find out more from the job description below, and apply by emailing Sarah Afraz.

Centre Director, Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy, Ashoka University

About Ashoka University:

Ashoka University is a private, nonprofit university. An unprecedented example of collective public philanthropy in India, it is a pioneer in its focus on the Liberal Arts. The University offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across the humanities, social sciences and fundamental natural sciences. The aim is to help students become well-rounded individuals who are able to think critically about issues from multiple perspectives, communicate effectively and go on to become ethical self-aware leaders with a commitment to public service.

Ashoka has built collaborations with University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, Carleton College, King’s College London, Sciences Po, UC Berkeley, Trinity College Dublin and Yale University. To learn more about Ashoka University visit http://ashoka.edu.in and watch the video here.

About the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy:

The University’s focus is on attracting the brightest students, putting them under the guidance of the most inspirational faculty, and developing a global reputation for innovative research. Faculty and students come from across the country, and the world, and Ashoka is committed to maintaining the highest intellectual and academic standards.

Along with having a robust academic programme, the University is home to Centres of Excellence that address some critical areas of relevance to society, and India in particular. This includes the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP), which aims at being the foremost Centre in India for research and capacity-building towards the critical advancement of social impact.

The Centre’s work will be focused on four major pillars:

• Research: The Centre will conduct research on critical topics in the space of social impact and philanthropy, with heavy emphasis on applied research. Some topics for the research include ‘Motivations of Giving’, and ‘Comparative Study on Tax Incentives for Giving’

• Capacity Building: The Centre will curate and conduct high-quality capacity-building programmes for students, social entrepreneurs, donors and HNI philanthropists

• Congregation for Social Sector and Philanthropists: The Centre will organise conferences and workshops to get philanthropists, government and social leaders and other stakeholders together to discuss, debate and problem-solve pressing social development challenges

• Student Engagement and Promotion of the Social Sector: The Centre will promote student engagement in the social development space through offering structured one- year fellowships, course-work, immersion programmes, etc. Additionally, the Centre through its research, publications and conventions will try to influence thought- leadership and policy in this space.

The Assignment and Role:

The Centre Director of the CSIP needs to be a dynamic candidate who has 15+ years of experience. In general terms, this individual will need to build a strong foundation for the Centre and oversee its various activities.The ideal candidate should have a strong grasp of and deep interest in issues relating to social development and philanthropy. S/he should comfortably straddle the world of theory and practice, and be able to develop and drive the Centre’s agenda.

S/he should:

• Be able to refine and execute the Centre’s vision for each of its four pillars of work, in the short term as well as for the future

• Engage constructively both within the University and with multiple key stakeholders to achieve the Centre’s goals

• Work with international universities and other organisations to develop suitable partnerships, collaborations and funding for the Centre’s activities

Reporting:

The candidate will report to an Advisory Council consisting of Ashoka University founders, Amit Chandra and Ashish Dhawan, nominees of the Centre’s Strategic Partners, and a few eminent individuals, including experts from the sector.

Interested candidates should reach out to Sarah Afraz, Manager, CSIP at sarah.afraz@ashoka.edu.in