Pervin Gandhi, a chartered accountant by profession, is associated with Ahmedabad University as a Senior Lecturer (Finance and Accounting), was selected to present her research paper on ‘Mergers and Acquisitions and Financial Development: Evidences from India and China’ at the International Conference for Academic Disciplines at Harvard University, Boston on May 23 – 27, 2016. Specializing in Corporate Finance, Pervin presented this paper with her Ph.D. guide Dr. Bharati Pathak, School of Commerce, Gujarat University. Currently, Pervin is working on her doctoral thesis on Information Content Analysis of Corporate Announcements.

Pervin shared her proud experience with Parsi Times, “It was a dream come true when I presented “Mergers and Acquisitions and Financial Development: Evidence from India and China” at the prestigious Harvard University, in front of my parents and scholars from multiple disciplines. I was the youngest there. I believe it’s the journey that is more memorable than the destination and my journey started in August 2015, when I registered as a Ph. D. Scholar and the best part was having a guide like Dr. Bharati V. Pathak, Director School of Commerce, Gujarat University and a renowned author in the area of Financial System and Markets. I was keen on doing research related to my country and another growing giant China. While pursuing the literature review, key words like Mergers, Development and Growth stuck to my mind and I got the direction for my quest. It got stronger when I came to know about the International Conference for Academic Disciplines at Harvard University but like most of the students, I too was afraid of sending my abstract to the selection committee as the academicians’ heart skips a beat on hearing even the name Harvard. It was only my guide and parents’ belief in me that made me send my work to the conference committee on one thought that if they will reject, they’ll give feedback and I will learn but I will never learn unless I don’t try! The leap of faith worked for me. Seeing my parents in the conference where everyone appreciated my work was my best reward.”

And what’s planned for the future? “After completing my Ph.D., I would like to start my own educational institute as I feel it’s not only the most emotionally satisfying and the best way to give back to the society which has given me so many things in life,” she says, signing off.