Ashoka University

The Ashoka Horizons Achievers Programme offers certified, deeply immersive short-term online courses for ambitious high school students entering Grades 9–12. Across Winter 2025 and Summer 2026, the programme offered 10 courses over three editions, spanning Business & Entrepreneurship, Economics, Psychology, Biosciences, Computer Science, Data Science, and Writing & Communication.

2025-26 brought together a truly global cohort of 300+ students from over 50+ cities and nearly ~8 countries, including scholarship students from Him Jyoti School (Dehradun), VidyaGyan Leadership Academy (Bulandshahr), Avasara Academy (Pune), Jai Hind College and Bhavan’s College (Mumbai), and PACE Junior Science College (Andheri West, Mumbai). Through live interactive sessions, one-on-one mentorship, dedicated project office hours, peer collaboration, and hands-on capstone projects, students explored new disciplines while applying their learning to real-world challenges.

The learning experience was shaped by future-forward modules delivered by world-class global faculty and industry experts, including Professor Harsh Parikh (Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, Yale University; Ph.D., Duke University), Professor Bhramar Mukherjee (Visiting Professor of Biology, Ashoka University; Ph.D. Purdue University), Professor Bibek Banerjee (Head, Department of Entrepreneurship and Management, Ashoka University; Ph.D., Purdue University), and Professor Sudipta Sarangi (Professor and Head, Department of Economics, Virginia Tech; Ph.D), among many others. Together, these experiences enabled students to deepen their subject knowledge, strengthen their college profiles, and cultivate a lasting passion for learning.

‘The Founder’s Playbook course is done, and it was indeed a refreshing experience for me. The students were bright, committed, and participative. Their ideas were creative and reflected an energy that only innocence can bring! I hope the students got value from it too. I certainly did.‘

– Professor Prakash Dharmarajan, Visiting Faculty of Entrepreneurship, Ashoka University

Beyond live classes, students worked on collaborative capstone projects, applying classroom concepts to real-world challenges while receiving regular guidance and personalised feedback from faculty. Econometrics: Data, Models & Decisions emerged as the programme’s largest course, bringing together nearly ~70 students in a single classroom. The programme also fostered a collaborative learning environment where students exchanged ideas, engaged with peers from diverse backgrounds, and built meaningful connections beyond the classroom.

I wanted to do something closer to data science where I could actually work with data sets and non- theoretical math, which is why I picked data science. I think this is going to be really helpful specifically for my Ashoka application because me being able to do well and getting a letter of academic achievement here shows that I can work well within the pedagogy of Ashoka University.

– Ashraf, Grade 12, International Baccalaureate Board, Legacy School, Bengaluru, Karnataka,

Complementing the programme, the Ashoka Horizons Achievers Challenge 2026 encouraged high school students to engage with thought-provoking, real-world questions across multiple disciplines through original essays, project proposals, videos, and student-led initiatives. Designed to celebrate curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking, the challenge recognised outstanding submissions with the prestigious Ashoka Horizons Achievers Scholarship 2026 and cash awards, while encouraging students to think deeply about the questions shaping the future.

I think the open discussion right from the start was something that made me realise that this was going to be a lot more than just sitting with our cameras on for two hours every week or four hours every weekend. It was going to be a place where we shared our experiences, where everyone was super comfortable, and comfortable reflecting within themselves, even the more ugly parts of themselves.

– Anoushka, Grade 10, Greenwood High – Sarjapur, Bengaluru, Karnataka, Cambridge Board, Writing and Communication | Building Narratives for Self

The Horizons Achievers Challenge is actually an opportunity for all students to think. We rarely get time to think. We are so obsessed with doing that some of the basic questions often get missed. This is a time to think deeply about very simple things. The prompts that we have picked for the Horizons Achievers Challenge reflect the kind of thinking that the world needs today. So you should engage because it’s important to think about becoming a leader for tomorrow.

– Aalok Thakkar, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Ashoka University

Together, the Ashoka Horizons Achievers Programme empowered students to explore new disciplines, build meaningful connections, and develop the confidence to pursue their academic aspirations.