From learning to leadership: Empowering South Asia’s next generation

A group of South Asians students gathered on the left bank of Paro Chhu river in Bhutan’s Paro valley on a cold December evening in 2014 and began singing the iconic song, “We Shall Overcome…”. Soon the same song was being sung in several South Asian languages—Hindi, Bengali, and Urdu. Within minutes, nearly one hundred South Asian students were singing and dancing together around a bonfire.  This was the closing night of the 11^th South Asian Economics’ Students Meet (SAESM), an annual Meet of undergraduate economics students from South Asia.

Launched in 2004 with support from the World Bank, SAESM has been bringing together South Asian students every year to debate regional economic issues, share academic research, and explore opportunities for cooperation towards a more integrated South Asia.  The program combines a three-day academic conference with a two-day cultural retreat, giving participants a chance to experience the host country and build friendships across borders. The discussions are intense, competitions are rigorous, and the cultural exchange is electrifying. But what happens to these students after the applause fades and the conference banners are packed away? Do these connections and experiences translate into real-world impact?

The World Bank commissioned a tracer study to assess the impact of SAESM. A survey of SAESM alumni, who now number over a thousand, highlighted these key findings:

SAESM as a human capital investment. SAESM is a competitive educational initiative, designed to attract highly motivated students who are passionate about making an impact through their careers. SAESM alumni have chosen diverse career paths, including the financial sector, academia, government and multilateral agencies, bringing them close to development policy and practice. Survey results show that SAESM influenced participants’ career trajectories: more than two-fifths of the survey respondents now work in roles directly related to development policy or practice in South Asia. Nearly a quarter are engaged in mentoring, advising, or supporting the professional growth of students and younger professionals across the region.

SAESM is an investment in regional cooperation. SAESM is often the first opportunity for young economists from South Asia to travel to a neighboring country, interact with peers from other countries in the region, and form lasting bonds.  This exposure and continued contact resulted in a positive change in their attitudes and perception of their neighbors. According to the survey, prior to SAESM, 89 percent of respondents had never traveled to another South Asian country for an educational activity and 71 percent had never interacted with a South Asian peer. After the Meet, 78 percent of respondents reported being in touch with a SAESM peer while 44 percent agree and another 45 percent strongly agree that SAESM influenced their perception of their South Asian neighbors.  Over a fifth of the total respondents continued to engage in regional cooperation through professional partnerships and collaborations. Moreover, a large majority of the survey responders aspired to more regionally integrated careers but did not get the opportunity to do so.

SAESM as an investment in women’s greater participation in South Asia. The study also highlights the increasing participation of women in SAESM over the years—from 39 percent in earlier cohorts (2004-2005) to over 50 percent in the most recent cohort (2024). Moreover, a majority of women alumni report having careers involving leadership roles or influence in South Asian development. There are some gender gaps in leadership and development policy and practice in the careers trajectories, but they are likely to be reflective of broader societal trends in the region.  

Youth charting the path forward.  There are over 700 million youth under the age of 24 in South Asia and more than one million youth in the region are expected to enter the labor force every month until 2030. This "youth bulge" presents both a challenge and an opportunity for South Asia, with the potential to drive economic growth if investments in skills development are prioritized. Academic collaborations, cross-border skills development, and idea exchange are opportunities that need to be recognized and developed. SAESM has provided South Asian economics students with a unique opportunity to interact with each other, understand their common heritage, and work toward a shared aspiration for economic development. The study highlights that many more budding economists are interested to work in development policy or practice and that the talent pool is underutilized.

South Asia could benefit by leveraging the talent, interest, networking and mentoring platforms like SAESM offer to strengthen and diversify South Asia’s leadership pipeline. With intentional investments in inclusion, policy relevance, and alumni networks, SAESM can continue to seed the teams and ideas that will power a more open, collaborative, and opportunity-rich region.