Noted Odia writer Susmita Bagchi and her renowned entrepreneur husband Subroto Bagchi, the co-founder of Mindtree, have endowed a Chair Professorship in public health at Ahmedabad University. Ahmedabad University has announced the School of Public Health and is looking for a Dean to lead the school. The Dean's chair would be called the Susmita and Subroto Bagchi Professorship in Public Health.
Susmita Bagchi, an eminent Odia writer who writes in Odia and English, has been conferred with Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992 for her short story collection called Akasha Jeunthi Katha. She is the Chairperson of the Mo School Programme in Odisha. Subroto Bagchi is a highly respected business leader, a prolific business writer, and an institution builder. The government of Odhisa has appointed him as the Chairman of the Odisha Skill Development Authority.
Vice-Chancellor of Ahmedabad University, Pankaj Chandra said, "This Chair Professorship supports our interdisciplinary perspective around problem-solving and is a very important step towards attracting the best minds of the world to our upcoming School of Public Health. This gift allows the University to seed teaching and research in one of the most critical areas of our times. It will also allow us to establish a research programme around data and evidence in public health. We are grateful to Mrs and Mr Bagchi, who have been long term supporters of the university, for their contribution towards the cause of public health and education in India."
