#PolicyProfile: Nitya Agrawal MPA ’22
May 28 2022
By
Brittany N. Murray
Source
Princeton School of Public and International Affairs
“Living globally helped me to think more critically about how much of a difference public policy can make in the economic and social contexts of places. I moved around a lot growing up — and lived in New York, Tokyo, Delhi, and Phoenix — which gave me exposure to vastly different economic, political, and social contexts. This got me interested in exploring a global career and studying international relations and, eventually, policy. Before coming to SPIA, I spent three years in India working with a team that was collaborating directly with the national government on informing their National Nutrition Mission. That's when I became passionate about health and nutrition policy.
I realized that a large percentage of India’s population lacked access to basic health care and health education, which greatly affected their quality of life and life expectancy. I became motivated by the fact that there is a lot that policymakers can and should do to improve healthcare access, quality, and communication.Nitya Agrawal
At Princeton, I've been exploring my interests in both global and domestic health policy. I wanted to better understand U.S. health policy as well, especially given the COVID-19 pandemic and the health inequities it exposed in this country.
What attracted me to Princeton was the community and the curriculum. Here, I have gained a broader understanding of not just health policy, but public policy in general — the political, economic, and behavioral aspects. The chance to take both global and U.S. policy classes has brought me outside of my comfort zone and challenged many of my previous notions about how to approach policy. I’ve now graduated and will take on a role in healthcare consulting. I am excited to be part of an organization that works directly with governments to improve access to and quality of healthcare.”
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