The Chair aims to teach and conduct research on Tamil language, literature & culture at the University of Houston.
Our Bureau
Houston, TX
The University of Houston and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations have renewed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) paving way for the setup of the ICCR Chair of Indian Studies to conduct research on Tamil language, literature and culture.
The MoU was signed last year but was renewed for another year at a ceremony held early this week at the University of Houston. It was signed by Chancellor & President Dr Renu Khator and Consul General of India in Houston, DC Manjunath.
Under the MoU, Dr T Vijayalakshmi, the visiting chair professor from India, has been teaching a curated Tamil Language and Culture Course at the University for the last two semesters.
“Having knowledge and appreciation for different cultures is a hallmark of an enlightened and advanced society. That’s why I’m so grateful that the Indian Council for Cultural Relations has renewed our visiting scholar’s partnership. It enhances our students’ depth of knowledge and gives them a competitive advantage internationally,” said Renu Khator, the first Indian-American to lead a major research university in the US since 2008.
Manjunath said that the “addendum will further enhance and deepen the India-US education and knowledge partnership”.
UH is only the third American university to partner with the ICCR on its global Indian Chairs Abroad program, along with Rutgers University and the University of Pittsburgh. The Tamil language, considered the oldest in the world, is one of the top five languages spoken in the United States, which is home to nearly 3,00,000 Tamil Americans. The classes are being taught by Dr. Thangavel Vijayalakshmi, a visiting professor of Indian Studies at UH College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.
