Asian Studies major Arushi Kende awarded Fulbright to study altruism in India

Asian Studies Major, Arushi Kende arrived at Cornell with a deep interest in how societies can nurture and encourage a sense of deep community and  care for one another.  In a time when social discourse seems course and uncaring, Arushi stuck to her vision that there are different models that can be emphasized and fostered. She was motivated to understand how these visions of human caring and social repair are made more explicit in certain social contexts. Her interests led her to Asian Studies where she has studied visions of altruism in Asian traditions.  While the majority of her work has focused on Indian cases, including a grant to study in India in the winter of 2025, she has also studied Japanese cases, works by the current Dalai Lama,  American Zen cases, and even altruism projects closer to home while an intern at Fallen Tree Zen Center during the summer of 2025. While at Cornell, Arushi has been a Rawlings Cornell Presidential Research Scholar and also a Humanities scholar.   Arushi is completing an honors thesis on this project and has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study the practice of selfless service in India beginning in the fall of 2026.