28 contaminants in water, or a product design class could focus on developing an affordable tool for harvesting a labor-intensive crop. Another significant challenge in motivating students to engage in social impact work and careers is the prospect of a lucrative career. Talented students from LEDCs, who have a good understanding of their countries' challenges and the skills to address them, often enter university but are drawn into high-earning fields like finance or tech by graduation, seeking economic security and freedom. While social impact ventures should not solely aim to maximize profits, the current narrative portrays them as akin to charities, offering limited financial rewards. This discourages individuals from pursuing careers in this area. To attract more people to social impact work, it is essential to reframe career paths in the field. Instead of likening them to organizations like UNICEF or the UN, framing social impact ventures as startups that can achieve social good while also generating solid income could better convince people that working on grand societal challenges is not only compatible with entrepreneurship and lucrative careers, but also offers a unique opportunity for personal growth and fulfillment. Fig 3.3 Image of Les and Prof. Bardhan conducting research on indoor air quality in India shared by Prof. Bardhan during her presentation.
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