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Ratan Tata demise: Veteran industrialist Ratan Tata’s passing on Wednesday night was mourned by his alma mater, Cornell University from where he had pursued a degree in architecture. When he initially joined the Class of 1959, Ratan Tata had enrolled to study mechanical engineering but changed his major two years later. Ratan Tata was also a former Cornell trustee, who had become the university’s largest international donor.
He had served three terms as a trustee from 2006 to 2022. Interim President Michael I. Kotlikoff said, “Ratan Tata has left an extraordinary legacy in India, across the world and at Cornell, which he cared about deeply.
Ratan’s quiet demeanour and humility belied his international profile. His generosity and concern for others enabled research and scholarship that improved the education and health of millions of people in India and beyond, and extended Cornell’s global impact,” Dean of Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, J. Meejin Yoon, said, “When Ratan Tata graduated from Cornell with a degree in architecture, it would have been impossible to imagine the global impact his visionary leadership, philanthropy and commitment to humanity would go on to have in advancing education and research across many sectors.
” According to the Cornell Chronicle, as of this academic year, 305 Tata scholarships have been awarded to 89 students from India, “with a special emphasis on supporting students from ‘non-feeder’ schools”. The university’s in-house newspaper highlighted the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition that develops and assesses innovative food systems-based approaches to reducing poverty and improving nutrition and livelihoods in the developing world. Multidisciplinary teams with various expertise are based in Ithaca, Mumbai and New Delhi.
The Tata Innovation Center at Cornell Tech provides space for education, research and interaction with industry partners as well as provides space for tech students and recent graduates to develop and commercialise new ideas, technologies, products, and launch startups. Ratan Tata was also named Cornell’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2013, and served from 2014 on as a member of AAP’s Advisory Council..
