Last modified: Friday, September 2, 2011
IU donating 12,000-volume political science library to India's O.P. Jindal Global University
President McRobbie also presents noted Indian economist Narendra Jadhav with IU's Thomas Hart Benton Medallion
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 2, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. and HARYANA, NCR OF DELHI, India -- Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie announced today (Sept. 2) that IU will donate a 12,000-volume research library of political science books, journals and reference materials used for decades by faculty and students to India's O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU).
Last year, IU entered into a wide-ranging collaboration agreement with the private university located just outside New Delhi in Haryana. A key component of the agreement is JGU's interaction with two of IU's professional schools, the Maurer School of Law and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
McRobbie made the announcement during the first IU/JGU international conference, part of an 11-day official visit to India.
"A tangible symbol of the strong ties that are developing between our two universities is Indiana University's Political Science Research Library, which we are giving to the O.P. Jindal Global University campus," McRobbie said. "It has served as an invaluable resource to generations of faculty members and students, who have turned to the collection for classic readings in political science, and we at Indiana University are delighted that this gift will be used to build upon O.P. Jindal's own library and to more firmly connect our universities, faculty, students and graduates."
During the joint conference, McRobbie also awarded the Thomas Hart Benton Medallion, the highest honor an IU president has the sole authority to bestow, to esteemed Indian economist, best-selling author and IU alumnus Narendra Jadhav.
Narendra Jadhav (left), noted economist, author and IU alumnus, talks with Indiana University President Michael McRobbie.
Jadhav, who earned a doctorate in economics from IU in 1986, served the Reserve Bank of India for 31 years, retiring in 2008 from the position of principal advisor and chief economist. From 2006 to 2009, he was vice chancellor of the University of Pune, the largest traditional university in the world with 650,000 students. A prolific writer with 100 research papers and 14 books, he is currently serving as a member of the National Planning Commission, India's top policy-oriented think tank chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and a member of the National Advisory Council.
"A Terrific Resource"
JGU will pay for shipping of the Political Science Research Collection, which is a core library of classic and fundamental books, journals and reference materials that was first established more than 40 years ago. It includes many classic titles used in the study of American politics, comparative politics, policy studies, international relations, political theory and philosophy and political methodology.
Copies of all the publications remain part of IU Libraries extensive holdings and the books being donated to JGU are duplicates. The university is looking to establish a modern, new Social Science Research Center where the collection was located in Woodburn Hall.
"This is a wonderful resource for which faculty and students at O.P. Jindal Global University will be the ultimate beneficiaries," said David Zaret, IU vice president for international affairs. "In previous years, other units at IU have donated library materials that have been put to very good uses."
JGU was established in 2009 to promote global education. Its benefactor, Naveen Jindal, the founding chancellor, provided the groundbreaking resources to launch the university.
Russell Hanson, chair and a professor in the Department of Political Science, holds one of the 12,000 books and journals in the collection.
Russell Hanson, chair and a professor in the Department of Political Science in the College of Arts and Sciences, said the collection has proven to be invaluable to scholars, particularly before the advent of electronic journals and other online research tools.
The collection was curated by Fenton S. Martin, the collection's head librarian from 1971 to 2008 and also head librarian of IU's acclaimed Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis from 1984 to 1986. "Through the years, many of the political science faculty made generous donations in their research areas, and many other books were purchased to keep the collection well balanced," she said. "I wish those who will oversee this collection in India will continue to shape the collection to fit the needs of their scholars."
"It's a very good collection on American government and politics, but it's much more than that," Hanson added. "One of the strengths of our department has always been its focus on comparative politics and international relations, which are represented in the collection itself. One can see how the profession of political science approaches the study of governance on a worldwide basis in this collection.
"I hope they (JGU faculty) find it as valuable as we have found it," Hanson said. "It's been a terrific research resource for us … The research collection is a great treasure."
