Washington DC (18.10.2024): At the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, 35 Indian students were hosted at The White House in a rare and historic moment. Identified, trained and developed as young scholars and leaders from their early teenage years, the 35 Indian students come from Dexterity Global’s National Scholar Development Program and are current undergraduate and graduate students at the world’s top universities on scholarships. Founded in 2008, Dexterity Global is a national organization powering the next generation of leaders through educational opportunities and training.
The official announcement was made by Dexterity Global’s Founder and CEO Sharad Vivek Sagar on social media. In 2008, Sagar was 16-year-old when he founded Dexterity Global in Patna, Bihar with a vision to empower young scholars and leaders from low and middle income backgrounds and enable them to use their educational journey to power India’s national journey.
Today, Graduates and Fellows of Dexterity have received over Rs 2.75 billion in scholarships from the world’s top 500 universities, served as India’s ambassadors to the UN and leadership forums worldwide, won over 1,000 national and international awards, and started their own public service and leadership initiatives. Nobel Prize-winning economist Professor Abhijit Banerjee called Dexterity "an unusual institution," while The Telegraph called Graduates and Fellows of Dexterity "the future of India.” For this work, Sagar and Dexterity found a place on the Rockefeller Foundation’s Centennial List of 100 Next Century Social Innovators in 2012, the Forbes Global Under 30 List in 2016 and Queen of England’s Young Leaders List in 2018.
Over the course of four remarkable hours at the White House, the 35 Graduates and Fellows of Dexterity had the opportunity to interact with senior White House leadership including the White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients. Following their interaction with the White House Chief of House, the group engaged in an hour-long, in-depth conversation at the US Treasury, where they discussed global economic challenges and opportunities with key officials. The historic visit of Graduates and Fellows of Dexterity also included a special tour of the White House, its iconic halls, rooms and gardens.
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest-ranking leader in the Executive Office of the President at the White House. During his personal interaction with the group, the White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients remarked, “You guys are the best of the best.” The White House Chief of Staff shared his life journey, learnings from his stellar record in public and private sector, and leadership experiences with President Obama and President Biden, while also answering the group’s questions on leadership and governance.
Among the 35 scholars invited were four student government presidents, over a dozen student senators, recipients of the highest undergraduate and graduate awards, past UN youth ambassadors, artists and authors published in The New York Times. They come from all parts of India, speak multiple languages and serve as Indian ambassadors at global institutions.
