THE University of Glasgow has announced that its £116 million Advanced Research Centre (ARC) is to be named after two graduates.
Former students John Shaw and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw will have the new facility named after them, in honour of their civic commitment.
The couple turned their biotech company, Biocon, into one of India’s largest and most successful biopharmaceutical firms with a mission to bring affordable access to a speciality portfolio of medicines.
In 2019, they also made a $7.5 million donated to the learning institute which it said helped stimulate research and innovation, as well as supporting education.
Set to open in June, the Mazumdar Shaw Advanced Research Centre will be home to over 500 researchers from a range of disciplines, with it facilitating ‘world changing’ collaborative research. Multiplex has led works on the build, which first started in 2018.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said, “John and I are honoured to have this fantastic facility bear our name. The decision to gift to Glasgow was easy, we both feel very strongly that there is a responsibility to share wealth to make a difference. The ARC is about catalysing change in research and that resonates with us. Philanthropy can be a catalyst for change, growth, improvement and development. We are both grateful that we are in the fortunate position to contribute to John’s alma mater and help the University achieve its aspirational goals.”
The University of Glasgow’s principal and vice-chancellor, Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, added, “We are really grateful to John and Kiran and we wanted to ensure that this extraordinarily generous gift was recognised appropriately. The Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre is on its way to becoming operational. It is an incredibly exciting time on campus; every week more researchers are moving in, and this summer the ARC will fully open its doors to the wider community.
“The global challenges that we face require team approaches and collaboration across disciplines, and this unique environment will encourage and support interdisciplinary research breakthroughs. The relationship we have with John and Kiran is a fantastic example of how a university can work with its communities to make a real difference in the world. Through our partnership, we are building on the University’s work with Biocon to explore initiatives such as joint PhDs which provide industry experience and help solve real world problems.”
