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Motwani Jadeja Institute for American Studies launched in New York
Consul General of India in New York, hailed the Institute as “a timely and meaningful contribution to the India–U.S. strategic partnership.”
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Bhavana P - Mon, 21, Jul 2025
- 15:36 EDT
- 24
Attendees of the event / X/ JindalGlobalUNI
The Motwani Jadeja Institute for American Studies (MJIAS) was officially inaugurated on July 19 by the O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) in New York City.
The Motwani Jadeja Foundation, led by Silicon Valley-based philanthropist Asha Jadeja Motwani, supports the institute, which is envisioned as a transformative platform for interdisciplinary research, public policy, innovation, and cultural exchange between India and the United States. It is named in honor of the late Indian-American computer scientist and Stanford professor Rajeev Motwani.
Also read: Asha Jadeja Motwani establishes American Studies Institute in India
In his welcome address, C. Raj Kumar, founding vice chancellor of JGU, said, “The Motwani Jadeja Institute for American Studies (MJIAS) is not merely the establishment of a new academic institute—it is a profound affirmation of our belief that universities must serve as instruments of global transformation.”
Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, Consul General of India in New York, hailed the Institute as “a timely and meaningful contribution to the India–U.S. strategic partnership,” noting that academic institutions like MJIAS embody the spirit of “knowledge diplomacy.”
In a landmark initiative aimed at deepening India-US academic engagement and global leadership #JGU inaugurated the Motwani Jadeja Institute for American Studies (MJIAS) at a prestigious event in #NewYork . The occasion was marked by the simultaneous release of the JGU… pic.twitter.com/l6piH9nhNc
— JGU (@JindalGlobalUNI) July 21, 2025
Asha Jadeja Motwani, who helped launch the institute, expressed her commitment to shaping ecosystems that empower changemakers. “Through MJIAS, we are not only honoring the spirit of Rajeev, who believed in democratizing innovation and knowledge, but we are also giving life to a bold vision: to create a space where the next generation of leaders of India and the USA can question, collaborate, and co-create,” she said.
Professor Mohan Kumar, former Ambassador of India to France and founding director-general of MJIAS, presented the vision statement of the Institute, and said, “MJIAS will engage with geopolitics, digital governance, trade, technology, and defence – all with a view to building a vibrant strategic partnership and "ring fencing" it from geopolitical vagaries.”
Senior scholars of leading US universities, professor Jayanth Krishnan (chair, International Board of Advisors, JGU), Indiana University Maurer School of Law and professor Sital Kalantry (vice chair), Seattle University School of Law, emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary learning, legal and technological innovation, and academic integrity. They praised MJIAS for anchoring itself at the intersection of liberal values, democratic norms, and global citizenship.
The evening concluded with a Distinguished Public Lecture by former Supreme Court of India judge U.U. Lalit and Tamil Nadu IT Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, highlighting the Institute’s unique convergence of education, law, and technology.
The occasion also featured the release of the JGU Sustainable Development Report 2025, authored by professor Padmanabha Ramanujam, dean of Academic Governance.
Based in India at the JGU campus, the institute was made possible by a $5 million endowment, making it one of the largest philanthropic contributions to JGU and among the most significant investments in American Studies in India.
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