Yale Univ announces $75 m India initiative

"The initiative will create new faculty positions on India specific courses and new curriculum across the arts and science disciplines," Yale University President Richard C Levin said.

In addition, it would expand the university's visibility in and engagement with India and South Asia through intensified student recruitment efforts, faculty and student exchanges and research partnership.

As part of this initiative, the university would triple the number of faculty from India to about 30 in specialist position, he said.

On funding Levin said, Yale has committed USD 30 million of its own unrestricted endowment resources to this enterprise and it expects to raise at least USD 20 million from donors within next year.

Besides, a gift of USD 5 million from Rohini and Nandan Nilekani, co-chairman of Infosys, has enabled the university to leverage its own resources and fund raising to catalyze the initiative, he said.

At the occasion, Nilekani said as India becomes a leading nation of the 21st century, it is imperative that a pre-eminent global institution like Yale have a deep and wide base of India studies.

"We expect many more connection between Yale and India in the years ahead," he said.