CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA, January 26, 2012 (Economic Times): The prestigious University of Chicago will establish a new visiting professorship in Indian studies to commemorate the legacy of spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda, supported by a US$1.5 million gift from India. The new chair will enrich the University’s renowned programme for the study of the Indian subcontinent and further research and teaching of India’s history and culture, a university press release said. Indian and University officials will come together on January 28 to celebrate the new commitment. The ceremony will be addressed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Ambassador Nirupama Rao. “The Ministry’s generous support will allow us to expand on the University’s tradition of rigorous scholarship in Indian studies,” said University President Robert J Zimmer.
Vivekananda rose to prominence in the United States during the 1893 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago, when he delivered an enormously popular lecture on the teachings of Hinduism. The $1.5 million gift will support the establishment of the Indian Ministry of Culture Vivekananda Visiting Professorship. The one-quarter visiting professorship will be given to distinguished scholars from a variety of disciplines with an interest in the fields of study most relevant to the teachings and philosophies of the Swami, such as Indian philosophy, politics and social movements.