An Indian-American cardiologist has donated $1.5 million to the University of California-Irvine to create a Chair for Sikh studies within the school, media reported on Tuesday.

Harvinder Sahota donated the money to the university that will now teach Sikh studies as a regular course.

The department will be named after Sahota’s mother, Bibi Dhan Kaur Sahota, India West reported.

“My mother taught me never to degrade anyone and respect everyone,” Sahota was quoted as saying.

“I still abide by the lessons she taught me as a child. I wanted to honour my mother for the woman she was and the man she helped me turn out to be,” he said.

Classes in the department are expected to begin in September, 2016.