IIT Guwahati alumna Souraja Kundu, from the Batch of 2021–25, has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Quad Fellowship, one of the world’s most competitive international programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

This year, 37 students from 11 countries were selected for the cohort, with 25 Fellows placed in U.S. institutions and 12 in Japan. Through the fellowship, Kundu will pursue her Ph.D. in Machine Learning at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), USA.

The Quad Fellowship aims to advance cross-national collaboration, interdisciplinary innovation, and leadership development. Fellows receive financial support for graduate studies, global leadership training, curated academic programming, and access to a lifelong international network of leading scientists, technologists, and innovators.

Kundu, who earned her B.Tech. in Electronics and Electrical Engineering and received the Governor of Assam Gold Medal during IIT Guwahati’s 27th Convocation, expressed gratitude for the support she received during her academic journey.

“The best thing about the Quad Fellowship is the opportunity I get to make friends with interdisciplinary STEM researchers across the world and take initiatives together to create impact on social and policy level through our research. I am grateful for all the research opportunities I got from IIT Guwahati. Thanks especially to my mentors who supported me in every aspect to learn, grow, and explore whatever research I wanted to pursue,” she said.

Recipients of the Quad Fellowship undergo a multi-stage selection process comprising an online application, expert review, and a final panel interview.

The process evaluates applicants on academic excellence in STEM, passion for science, capacity to bridge differences, and a strong results-oriented mindset.