Onward to Harvard: The Journey Towards a Fulbright Scholarship

February 1, 2023

Sometimes, people count themselves out too early, according to Barath Harithas, FASS Alumnus and Fulbright Scholar. Photo: Barath Harithas

Alumnus Barath Harithas (NUS Political Science, ’16) was somewhat stunned when he found out that not only had he been awarded a scholarship under the prestigious US Government-sponsored Fulbright Singapore Student Program to pursue a Master's in Public Policy, he had also received the John F. Kennedy Fellowship and been appointed a Belfer Young Leader Student Fellow at the think tank Belfer Center — all at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS).

“Mine isn’t the story of the diligent and tractable schoolboy who teachers earmarked for success,” says Barath. “In fact, more than one teacher had told me that I was headed for an institutional facility. After the army, NUS was perhaps where I started to apply myself in earnest. The flexibility afforded by the FASS curriculum and scope for customisation allowed me to explore what I was interested in unreservedly.”

“But even then, getting into NUS itself seemed like a pipe dream,” says Barath, “No one in my family had even been to university. Thinking about Harvard seemed like a risible proposition. And I think sometimes we count ourselves out too early if we don’t get the right scholarship or get into a brand-name university in the US/UK after our A-levels. But life doesn’t end at 18. Quite the contrary. Not everyone gets anointed with early success. I was most certainly a late bloomer.”

After graduating from NUS, Barath joined the Public Service with stints across the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Enterprise Singapore with a focus on key flashpoints in the US-China relationship such as the South China Sea conflict, the US-China trade war as well as US-China technology competition. At HKS, Barath hopes to bring together his working experiences and his academic learnings to add fresh insights to the conversation on US-China relations and approaches to the US-China rivalry.

About the Fulbright Programme

The Fulbright Scholarship is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Government. The objective of the grant is to enable the recipient to pursue a particular field of study, and to develop leaders who can contribute to promoting better understanding between the United States and Singapore. Over 500 Singaporeans have participated in the Fulbright Program, including Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, former Dean of FASS Professor Lily Kong, and Chairman of the Middle East Institute at NUS Mr Bilahari Kausikan. 2022 Marks the 76th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program. Visit the Fulbright Program website for more information.

Barath also hopes to deepen his understanding of critical issues in technology regulation, a topic he is deeply passionate about. He has spent the past two years delving into areas spanning artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cybersecurity and the Internet of Things. At HKS, Barath was working with the late Ash Carter, former US Secretary of Defense, to develop recommendations on content and platform regulation for US policymakers and private sector actors.

Barath co-leading the first dedicated policy trip to Singapore since 2009 by a delegation of over 50 students from Harvard Kennedy School and moderating a fireside chat with Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Photo: Barath Harithas

When informed of Barath’s award, some of his Professors were not surprised and quick to point at his intellectual curiosity and grit as winning attributes. Associate Professor Luke O’Sullivan, who taught Barath in many undergraduate courses, remembers Barath as always having been a determined and outspoken individual. “He was clearly smart with an inquiring intellect, and I found him very endearing,” says A/P O’Sullivan. “I’m sure he will be a big success, he’s worked hard for it.”

People of FASS is a content series that emphasises on the human element, our people, their accomplishments and journey, as well as what inspires them. The series is curated primarily to focus on featuring exemplary students, alumni, researchers, faculty and staff.