Glasgow University names research centre after Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, John Shaw

The University of Glasgow has honoured John Shaw and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw by naming its new research centre after them.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Biocon said the Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre will be home to over 500 researchers from a range of disciplines, facilitating world changing collaborative research.

The 116 million pound building will officially open in June 2022.

John Shaw, who is a graduate from the University of Glasgow, along with his wife Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw had gifted USD 7.5 million (around Rs 57 crore) to the University in July 2019.

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," University's Principal and Vice-Chancellor Anton Muscatelli said.

The global challenges that the world faces require team approaches and collaboration across disciplines, and this unique environment will encourage and support interdisciplinary research breakthroughs, he added.

"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," Muscatelli said.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw noted that the Advanced Research Centre is about catalysing change in research and that resonates with them.

"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," she added.

The USD 7.5 million donation was used to help fund the building of the Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre and create a Professorial Chair, the Mazumdar-Shaw Chair of Molecular Pathology.