University of Chicago to Open a Center in India

What did the University of Chicago announce?

The University of Chicago (U of C) announced it would open an academic center in New Delhi early the next year. The 17,000-square-foot center was to be located in the heart of the city at Connaught Place.

What was the center for?

The center in Delhi would serve as a major academic center for research and collaboration between students and faculty.

President Robert J. Zimmer of U of C said: "Our goal is to create an intellectual destination in Delhi, where scholars and students from the United States, India, and around the world can benefit from the free exchange of ideas."

U of C's social sciences department had been working with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences for a long time. Opening a center in Delhi showed their desire and commitment to extend that intellectual destination. The university also had centers in Singapore, Beijing, and Paris, among others.

The center in Delhi was to be a fully owned foreign enterprise of the University of Chicago. It would not award any degrees. Alumni of the University of Chicago living in India welcomed the decision.

The center in Delhi was conceived as an intellectual destination — a place to explore ideas across institutions and disciplines. It expands opportunities for collaboration with Indian universities, research institutes, and cultural organizations, and it serves as a focal point for engaging alumni in India and South Asia. To learn more: uchicago.in.

Update: the UChicago Center in Delhi opened in 2014, becoming the university's academic hub in India.