Indian-American gives $11 m to UCLA

Washington, June 30

An Indian-American physicist has donated $11 million to the University of California to establish a centre devoted to advancing knowledge of the basic laws of nature, the largest donation in the history of the varsity.

“I thank Mani Bhaumik for his philanthropic leadership and for believing in UCLA,” said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block.

The Mani L Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics is intended to become a world-leading centre for theoretical physics research and intellectual inquiry, the university said in a statement.

The Bhaumik Institute will host visiting scholars, organise seminars and conferences for the academic community, and begin a public outreach programme to teach the community about scientific advances made by UCLA physicists.

Bhaumik rose from poverty to become an eminent scientist who played a key role in developing the laser technology that paved the way for Lasik eye surgery. He was born in a remote village in West Bengal, and as a child slept on rags in the thatched-roof mud hut he shared with his parents and six siblings. — PTI