University of Chicago President Robert J. Zimmer; Photo credit: braingainmag.com

President Zimmer said that the team at UoC hope to create an "intellectual destination" in New Delhi, and  build on the legacy of global engagement and international collaboration that the university prides itself on.

Zimmer was followed by three other speakers—Professor Gary Tubb (UoC), who will head the Center, Professor Romila Thapar (Emeriti, JNU, Delhi) and Dr John Schneider, who will be among the faculty conducting research and managing projects there.

On being asked what the ‘particular virtues’ of the UoC’s collaborative effort are, Zimmer said that the Centre in Delhi is a "rather large experiment" born of many decades of international engagement. "We don’t imagine we’re going to solve every problem," he said, but that the Centre will make an effort to bring to Indian scholars the educational resources of the UoC and instigate greater cooperative efforts in higher education.

From left to right, the panelists: Ian Solomon, Robert Zimmer, Gary Tubb, Romila Thapar and John Schneider; Photo credit: braingainmag.com

Zimmer said there are no 'pre-set qualifications’ for those interested in working with the Centre. Student involvement will be driven by their interests and work.

The UoC Centre in New Delhi will be located in Connaught Place, occupying a 17,000 square foot campus. The Centre will not grant degrees, and will function mainly as a collaborative research institute for students and faculty in the Indian subcontinent with UoC.