Mahindra gifts 10 mn USD to Harvard

Updated on: Saturday, October 09, 2010

Renowned Indian industrialist Anand Mahindra has given a grant of $10 million to Harvard University. It is the largest gift for the study of humanities in its history and the centre has now been renamed Mahindra Humanities Centre.

Drew Gilpin Faust, president of Harvard University and Lincoln Professor of History said, "This remarkable gift is a significant affirmation of the importance of the humanities and the central place of the liberal arts in the University."

Anand Mahindra is the vice chairman and managing director of Mahindra & Mahindra, Ltd., the flagship company of the Mahindra Group, which is among the top 10 industrial houses in India. He came to Harvard as an undergraduate in the film studies programme of the Department of Visual and Environmental Studies and went on to earn his MBA from Harvard Business School (HBS).

Mahindra said, "I am happy to be able to contribute to the cause of the humanities. To address complex problems in an interdependent world, it is vital to encourage the cross-cultural and interdisciplinary exchange of ideas in an international setting. I am proud to be part of the intellectual legacy of India's contribution to global thinking across the arts, culture, science, and philosophy."

The Mahindra Humanities Centre will advance interdisciplinary exchanges among Harvard faculty, faculty from other area institutions, graduate students, undergraduates, and the public. It will sponsor a wide range of panel discussions, lectures, readings, conferences, performances, workshops, and seminars, as well as graduate and postdoctoral fellowships.

Mahindra gifts 10 mn USD to Harvard

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