Shivank Taksali’s Vision for a Greener Future is Global

By Daniel Lam (MS-EIA’26)

When Shivank Taksali (MS-EIA ’26) speaks about his hopes for a more sustainable future, it’s clear that much of his vision is inspired by global experiences. He was born in India, grew up in Antwerp, Belgium, studied in Boston, Hong Kong and Singapore, worked in New York, and has traveled to more than 40 countries on every continent except Antarctica. He speaks English, French, Spanish, Hindi, and Mandarin at a fluent or conversational level, which means if he learns Arabic and Russian, he’ll be fluent in all six official UN languages.

He invokes these experiences when sharing his visions for the future. Shivank hopes to see widespread electrification and decarbonization, alluding to the EU plan to ban the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035. He hopes for greener cities that prioritize the safety and comfort of the people who live there, recalling the oppressive heat (sensible heat, to be exact) he felt when walking down the corridors between midtown Manhattan skyscrapers. And he hopes for more robust public transit systems and high-speed rail, pointing to the Shinkansen in Japan, which is also the country where he completed his first solo international trip.

If such hopes seem lofty, consider the source of his hope: us. Before an inviting and conspicuously abandoned microphone in Red Square, Shivank said, “What gives me hope in the world today is my fellow SFS classmates and seeing their determination for building a better world, a more compassionate world.”

Two weeks later, he affirmed, “I definitely believe that even more. The more I get to know my MS-EIA classmates, the more I feel hopeful.”

What gives me hope in the world today is my fellow SFS classmates and seeing their determination for building a better world, a more compassionate world.

In recognizing our cohort’s in-it-together attitude, Shivank credits our classmate and GradGov Sustainability Director Ariana Zhao for introducing him to GradGov’s role and piquing his interest in running for a seat in the GradGov Senate. Earlier this week, Shivank won that election, and will soon join senators from across Georgetown’s graduate programs to advocate for student interests.

Shivank’s aims include electrifying the GUTS bus fleet, fostering greater collaboration between our program and the Office of Sustainability, and increasing the plant-based food options available at events on campus. Inspired by a conversation with our classmate Luisa Struck at the recent MS-EIA & MS-ESM mixer, our new senator also envisions a system of advertising the carbon footprints of foods served on campus to help students make more informed choices.

In working toward these and other goals, Shivank will be no stranger to student advocacy. While an undergraduate at Northeastern University in Boston, he served as Hall Council President for a residence hall that was home to more than 400 students. His other campus responsibilities included serving as marketing director for the entrepreneurship club. Boasting thousands of members, it is the largest student organization at Northeastern. After college, Shivank held multiple roles in growth and digital marketing before joining our MS-EIA cohort.

As for his plans after this degree, Shivank considers himself “a future global climate policy leader.” He even has aspirations to serve in the European Parliament. After all, with his family in Belgium, he noted one big plus for such a role.

“It would be an easy commute. I could still live at home.”