Meet Zarif Ahsan, ’25

Zarif Ahsan was the Center for South Asia-Markaz Fellow for the 2024-25 school year. He is graduating with a degree in mathematics. "The Center for South Asia gave me a space to critically view my own identity in connection to broader histories in South Asia, and my job gave me the ability to open up spaces and conversations that I have found powerful in my life.” 

Read the Q&A below to learn more about Zarif's experience at Stanford.

What SGS program or center are you affiliated with?

I worked as the Center for South Asia-Markaz Fellow for the 2024-25 school year. I chose to work in this position because of what I saw as a need to create space for academic conversations that critically examine South Asian identity and politics, especially here in the U.S., in a way that is mindful of history, colonization, and contemporary power structures.

What has been your favorite class at Stanford and why?

History 97C: The Structure of Colonial Power: South Asia since the Eighteenth Century. The class was perspective-changing for me as it challenged colonial narratives of South Asian identity and history through an account that centered both history and historiography. The class made me interrogate the (colonially-informed) perspectives through which I was taught to view South Asian history and taught me the complicated, nefarious, and shifting nature of British colonial power in India. It exposed me to decolonial schools of thought in South Asian studies that have since informed the way I understand South Asian history and contemporary politics.

What kind of research, course projects, or co-curricular activities did you participate in during your time at Stanford?

I participated in the BOSP Summer Program in Jordan, on theater, urbanity, and modernity in the Middle East! The trip was a beautiful exposure to Global South thought and a region with heritage and development spanning millenia. I staffed at Queer Student Resources, where I was responsible for organized Queer Salam events for the Queer Muslim body. Other than that, I have lived in Synergy, a cooperative house on Stanford's campus, for all three of my upperclass years, in which I participated in a historic consensus-based community that prioritizes alternative ways of living and enacting radical futures.

Tell us your favorite major/minor/program-related story or experience! Any adventures abroad or fascinating guest lectures?

Interviewing award-winning Indian journalist Arfa Khanum for my winter quarter CSA-Markaz event was an eye-opening experience for me. Seeing the work of such a groundbreaking journalist whose mission is to platform the plight of the oppressed in India--and the consequences of this disruptive work in a media and political landscape that eerily parallels ours--made me understand the power of narrative and speaking out. Being able to talk to her about her role as a journalist reframed my understanding of the Indian media landscape, and her persistence in spite of extensive harassment and surveillance for her work was nothing short of inspiring.

As you reflect on your time at Stanford, what are you most proud of?

At the end of the day, most of my time, joy, and work has been for the communities I have been a part of, whether it is the many hours I have spent lounging in the Markaz and chatting with my bosses and community members, the numerous grocery runs I have made and meals I have cooked for my co-op, or the many Queer folk I have befriended and organized with, especially in the last two years.

What are your plans after graduation?

I am pursuing my Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley, on a Chancellor's Fellowship!

How has your degree program changed your understanding of the world and prepared you for your next steps?

The Center for South Asia gave me a space to critically view my own identity in connection to broader histories in South Asia, and my job gave me the ability to open up spaces and conversations that I have found powerful in my life. I leave Stanford with such a stronger grasp of my Queer, Muslim, and Bangladeshi identities--which many Center for South Asia lectures have helped me make sense of in their interaction with each other--and a mindset to educate others that through my events I have learned the power of.