The India Chair in Democracy and Civil Society
There is a placard on a shelf in my office with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Gandhi, who would be celebrating his 145th birthday today, tells us that in order to change the world, we must begin with ourselves. Then, we must work to make a difference in the lives of others.
This is at the heart of higher education. Higher education is not only an opportunity for ourselves, but an opportunity for the communities we serve. As a research university, academic and research excellence is only part of VCU’s mission; we are also called to enhance and empower those around us.
At VCU, we are working toward that goal in some important ways. Among them is The India Chair in Democracy and Civil Society, which will soon become an important part of VCU’s future as an internationally premier research university, providing a forum for discussion and partnership that might not otherwise be possible. The India Chair, which will be housed in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, will bring luminaries and authorities on Indian culture, history, politics, economics, business, religion and art to the greater Richmond community and the commonwealth of Virginia.
A few weeks ago, VCU hosted the 2014 India Chair in Democracy and Civil Society lecture, featuring Rajmohan Gandhi, a historian, biographer and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. For more than half a century, Rajmohan Gandhi has been engaged in international efforts for trust building, Indo-Pakistan relations, Hindu-Muslim reconciliation and in battles against political corruption and inequality.
With a unique focus on democracy and civil society, the India Chair will bring many different points of view to VCU. It will ask us to consider how can we learn from one another, how we can work together to advance those ideals around the world and how we can give all human beings a chance to succeed.
More information on the $1 million India Chair campaign is available here.
Pictured from top:
(1) VCU President Michael Rao; Rajmohan Gandhi, a historian, biographer and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi; and Niraj Verma, inaugural dean and professor of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs
(2) Former Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, distinguished professor in the Wilder School; Shantaram Talegaonkar, M.D., chair of the campaign for the Indian Chair in Democracy and Civil Society at VCU; and VCU President Michael Rao
(3) 2014 India Chair in Democracy and Civil Society dinner
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