The History and the Mission of the Center

The Yadunandan Center for India Studies, established in 2005 with a generous donation from the Uka and Nalini Solanki Foundation, champions the study of South Asia’s cultures and histories in the social sciences, humanities, arts, and education. Alongside its academic programs, the Center’s activities are also designed to build bridges across campus and within the diverse South Asian community in Southern California and beyond.

South Asia has an exceptionally rich political, religious, and cultural history, is a central node in the global economy, and has one of the largest diasporas in the world. Considering its global importance (past and present) we would argue that South Asia remains somewhat obscured in the American academic and cultural imagination. The Center’s mission is to readdress this by enhancing the understanding of and appreciation for South Asia through the critical examination of its contributions to the larger world, and its numerous and profound internal complexities and contradictions.

The Yadunandan Center also has a mission to improve and enhance the teaching and learning of South Asia in K-12 schools and universities. This important work is well-suited to CSULB with its national reputation for excellence in teacher education and innovation in university teaching.