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The Bagchi School of Public Health, named after philanthropists Susmita and Subroto Bagchi, was announced at Ahmedabad University on Tuesday.
Established in 2023, the School is now named in honour of the philanthropists and aims to revolutionise public health education and research in India, as stated in an official release here. The Bagchi couple’s transformative grant of Rs 55 crores will fuel the development of world-class physical, digital, and intellectual infrastructure. This investment empowers the School to become a global leader in public health education and research, the release added.
The Bagchi School will break new ground by prioritising rigorous structured Master’s and PhD programmes in specific core public health disciplines. The School’s flagship programme, a PhD in Epidemiology, equips students with the necessary advanced analytical as well as soft skills to tackle complex public health challenges, both ongoing and unforeseen. Initial focus areas include Environmental Health, Analytical Methods for Health, including Biostatistics and Data Science.
The Bagchi School also fosters collaboration through the Sahyog Centre for Promoting Health, established in partnership with the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA). This Centre empowers individuals, communities, and organisations to make healthy, eco-friendly choices. The Vice-Chancellor of Ahmedabad University, Professor Pankaj Chandra, said, “It is a matter of pride for us that Ms Susmita Bagchi and Mr Subroto Bagchi chose our institution to implement their vision of creating knowledge and helping the underserved. Their support will help build global leaders in public health out of India. As a University promoting interdisciplinary research and education, this is a unique setting for public health faculty, practitioners, and students to significantly define our nation’s health agenda.”
Subroto Bagchi, co-founder of Mindtree, author and public servant, commented, “COVID opened our eyes to the huge gap in the sphere of public health education and research in India. We reached out to Ahmedabad University, as we had had several previous interactions with them that deeply impressed us with regard to their vision, ability to foster and execute innovations, and their holistic approach to education and research.”
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