India gifts 4.5 million dollars for Amartya Sen Harvard fellowships

The agreement on the establishment of the fund was signed by India's Ambassador to US Ronen Sen and Dr. Drew Gilpin Faust, President of Harvard University, at a ceremony at Harvard University Wednesday in the presence of India-born Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on his 75th birthday.

The gift was made in recognition of the extraordinary accomplishments of Amartya Sen, distinguished Lamont Professor at the university, and his much-acclaimed work for social and economic justice across the world.

Consistent with the University's policy, the fellowships will at a later date be formally designated as the Amartya Sen Fellowship Fund and the recipients of the fellowship as Amartya Sen Fellows.

Apart from being a renowned economist, Amartya Sen was a respected philosopher and champion of democracy and human rights, she added. Hence it was appropriate that the agreement on establishing the fellowships was being signed not only on the occasion of his 75th birthday, but, coincidentally, also on the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Universal Human Rights.

The South Asia Initiative (SAI) of the university, headed by Prof. Sugata Bose, has since its establishment five years ago, significantly raised the profile of studies on India and South Asia at Harvard, and internationally.

In its first four years, it sent nearly 300 faculty members and students to India and South Asia, conducted high profile seminars and conferences, supported new websites, and conducted other research activities.

In 2007, Harvard president Drew Faust authorised the raising of endowed funds of $20 million for a South Asia Institute and $16 million for endowed Chairs. In 2007-2008, there were 288 South Asian students at Harvard University, of which 216 were from India.