Sanket grew up in a modest town in western India. His father drove a rickshaw; his mother spent her early years milking cows to support the family. Neither completed school, yet both made one unwavering commitment: their son would have the education they never received. They worked long hours, stretched limited resources, and encouraged him to reach for opportunities they had never imagined for themselves.
Stepping into the Geneva Graduate Institute, Sanket felt both excitement and uncertainty. “I didn't even know what a citation was when I arrived,” he recalls. The classrooms, debates, and expectations pushed him far outside his comfort zone. What followed was not only academic growth, but a profound evolution of identity. He learned to navigate imposter syndrome, embrace intellectual humility, and rebuild confidence with every challenge he overcame.
A decisive turning point came through TradeLab, a course Sanket calls the most formative experience of his studies. Under the guidance of Professors Colette van der Ven and Scott Andersen, he worked on a project linked to Somalia’s Trade for Peace agenda. This experience not only strengthened his academic direction but also led him to meet Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister. Soon after, he found himself moderating a session at the WTO’s Trade for Peace Week, an honour he once considered unimaginable. These encounters broadened his worldview and anchored his desire to work at the nexus of climate, peace, and governance.
Sanket deepened this trajectory through his thesis, supervised by Professor Cédric Dupont and Professor Gilles Carbonnier, which analysed how climate finance can support post-conflict recovery in fragile states, with Somalia as the case study. Conducting interviews with Somali officials, UN actors, and donors, he confronted the lived realities of governance in crisis settings. The research became a bridge between his personal history, growing up with economic precarity, and his emerging commitment to climate justice and peacebuilding.
Beyond academics, Sanket embraced leadership within the Institute’s community. As Co-President of the Welfare Committee, he helped create spaces of solidarity, care, and student support. He was also the President of Student Initiative on Asia (SIA), fostering dialogue and representation for students across the continent. These roles deepened his understanding of responsibility and collective strength.
But the journey was not without internal battles. Being a first-generation student in one of the world’s most international academic environments came with moments of doubt, cultural dissonance, and fear of inadequacy. Yet each challenge strengthened his resolve. “Every day at the Institute taught me how to rebuild myself,” he reflects. “Not to become someone else, but to become someone truer.”
Today, Sanket begins a new chapter in Nairobi, where he works on peacebuilding and climate resilience as part of an international organisation. For him, this transition is not merely a career step; it represents the realisation of a dream made possible by the sacrifices of his parents, the mentorship of his professors, and the community that shaped him.
The Institute, the MINT Programme, and the Alumni Relations Office are proud to count Sanket among the 28,000 alumni worldwide. His journey is a reminder that education is not only a path to opportunity but also a powerful bridge between personal history and global impact.