Twitter India's Raheel Khursheed named 2017 World Fellow at Yale University

New Haven: Raheel Khursheed, head of news partnerships for Twitter India and South East Asia, has been named a 2017 World Fellow.

He is one of only 16 people chosen for this prestigious global leadership development program at Yale University, one of the most elite universities in the United States. Khursheed joins a network of 309 Fellows representing 87 countries.

In an interview over phone with ANI, Khursheed said, "It is an honour to be included in what is an incredibly diverse and accomplished cohort. I look forward to my time at the Yale World Fellows Program as a 2017 World Fellow at Yale University."

"The 2017 World Fellows are extraordinary individuals who share a commitment to open society and a belief that what unites us is far greater than what divides us," said Emma Sky, director of the Maurice R. Greenberg World Fellows Program.

"They join our network of over 300 World Fellows, working to make our world a better place for all," she said.

World Fellows is Yale University's signature global leadership development initiative and a core element of Yale's ongoing commitment to internationalization. Each year, the University invites a group of exemplary mid-career professionals from a wide range of fields and countries for an intensive four-month period of academic enrichment and leadership training.

"I am honoured and delighted to welcome these leaders and innovators to campus," said Yale President Peter Salovey. "World Fellows have improved people's lives, and their contributions have far reaching influence on society. They enrich our learning environment by sharing their expertise and experiences with our students and faculty", he continued.

"They have the opportunity to grow academically and personally as they interact with our community. This program is an example of Yale's commitment to developing globally engaged leaders", he added.

When asked whether he identified with the mission of World Fellows to cultivate and empower a network of globally engaged leaders committed to making the world a better place, Khursheed said, "The last ten years of my professional life have led to having an impact across news, politics, governance and civic technology. I am excited about the opportunity of being able to scale that impact."

The program is part of the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, which prepares Yale students for global leadership and service through its master's program in global affairs, master of advanced study in global affairs and undergraduate major in global affairs.

World Fellows is committed to three main goals:

- Leadership: To strengthen the knowledge and skills essential for global leadership

- Service: To provide opportunity to serve others through sharing knowledge and experience, and collaborating on initiatives

- Network: To grow a global community of people with shared values connected to each other and to Yale.