Gaurav Gogoi

Describe your Job.

I am a Member of Parliament for the Government of India representing the State of Assam and spokesperson for Indian National Congress Party. I also sit on the Standing Committee of Railways. In addition, I am on the board of the Farm2Food Foundation, which received an Ashoka Award for our work teaching children about organic farming in rural communities, and I advise students interested in studying international relations and foreign policy through the Youth Forum on Foreign Policy.  

How would you describe your experience as a Wagner student?

Coursework was critical for to my experience. I took Water Sourcing and Climate Change, which helped me understand global development frameworks. Financial Management, Strategic Management, and Performance Measurement and Management help me in my current job institute realistic goals and deadlines and help me monitor performance and evaluate the outcomes. This is something that I am looking to bring to the bureaucracy in the district that I represent.

How did your Wagner experience prepare you professionally for what you are doing today?

It emphasized that public service is the core value in politics, and the influence that we gain through our positions must be used to impact policies which create a transformative change. For example, I work closely with district-level administrators to identify after-school programs that would increase learning outcomes and decrease the drop-out rate. Wagner also helped me understand that it is important to build a community of peers that reaffirms each other in our daily lives and helps prioritize building institutions as a way of creating sustainable change.