'India Group' Gifts $10 Million to UCF

Bangalore: The India Group, an association of famous business and professional leaders in Florida, has gifted an amount of $10 Million to University of Central Florida (UCF) for New India Studies Center.

UCF started an Indian Studies Programme four years ago and previous month the university announced its plan to set up a center specializing in the politics, economy, technology and culture of India.

Anil Deshpande, President of Deshpande Inc. is the organizer of Indian Group who played a lead role in making this center possible, by providing a gift of $10 million. The center is set up in response to the popularity and support received by the Indian programme.

P.N. Vaidy Vaidyanathan, a member of the advisory board for the new center, called it “a welcome expansion of efforts at UCF to educate students and the general public about the multifaceted cultural, educational and technological developments that are available through ties with India.” 

The India center will include diverse activities such as public presentations and other community outreach, an annual India forum, and many other scholarly as well as research programmes. 

There will be exchange of students and scholars with institutions in India and there are also plans to start new course and provide fellowships to students at UCF. The library at UCF will have a permanent Indian collection.

 “We have worked hard to help build a strong foundation for India studies at UCF, and it is time to reach in new directions,” said Deshpande in a UCF press release. 

John C. Hitt, UCF president said that the project aims to improve partnerships with the India people residing in Central Florida, the nation and across the globe. “Such connections are of key importance in light of India’s rise to global prominence and its position at the forefront of growth in many fields,” he said.