STANFORD, CA (TIP) : With a $5 million endowment Indian American venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Asha Jadeja Motwani and the Motwani Jadeja Family Foundation have established the Motwani Jadeja Institute for American Studies (MJIAS) at the OP Jindal Global University (JGU). This endowment is one of the largest contributions to JGU and marks a significant investment in American Studies in India, according to a university release. The Institute is named in honor of the late Prof Rajeev Motwani, a former computer scientist at Stanford University and a mentor to the founders of Google. MJIAS is meant to serve as a tribute to his legacy while advancing founder of Motwani Jadeja Family Foundation, Asha Jadeja Motwani’s commitment to education, innovation, and India-U.S. cooperation.
“The establishment of the Motwani Jadeja Institute for American Studies at JGU reflects my deep belief in the power of education to shape global narratives and foster enduring partnerships,” she said on the launch of MJIAS.
“At a time of great global transformation, it is vital for India and the United States to invest in the next generation of scholars, thinkers, and leaders who can build bridges of understanding, cooperation, and innovation,” Motwani said. “I am honored to support this visionary initiative and proud to partner with JGU in creating a world-class institution for American Studies in India.”
The vision and mission of MJIAS is to become a globally recognized center of excellence for research, teaching, and policy engagement in the United States, while deepening India-U.S. relations and contributing to global conversations.
Its mission includes promoting interdisciplinary research on U.S. politics, law, economy, culture, and technology, facilitating collaboration between Indian and American academic institutions, think tanks, and civil society.
Enhancing public understanding of U.S. global leadership, innovation ecosystems, supporting comparative legal and constitutional scholarship, fostering faculty and student exchanges, and cultivating future leaders in India-U.S. affairs are also part of MJIAS’s vision.
The strategic partnership will also include a tech-innovation hub, an India-U.S. Policy consultation forum, an India-U.S. youth forum, Global Challenges forum, studies and reports, sociocultural mobility initiatives and global indices to advance bilateral interests.
Thanking Motwani “for her visionary philanthropy and belief in the power of education to shape global futures,” Founding Vice Chancellor, JGU, President, MJIAS, Prof. C Raj Kumar said, “This historic endowment marks a defining moment for JGU. The Motwani Jadeja Institute for American Studies will be a powerful bridge between India and the United States.”