Indian-origin couple gifts USD 20 million to American university for focus on AI, advanced analytics

An Indianorigin couple has donated USD 20 million to its alma mater in Texas giving a push to studies on artificial intelligence and advanced analytics at the institute underscoring contribution by immigrants to help build the American dreamAnuradha and Vikas Sinha have gifted USD 20 million to the University of North Texas UNT with a focus on artificial intelligence and advanced analytics while creating new opportunities for students and faculty a press statement saidIn recognition of the gift UNT will set up the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics which will serve as an academic and research hub focused on artificial intelligence intelligent systems and data analytics bringing together expertise in areas including AI cybersecurity data science advanced analytics health informatics information science library science and learning technologiesThe Sinhas investment in UNT has grown alongside their involvement with the university In 2024 they gave a gift establishing the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha Department of Data Science along with endowments supporting scholarships faculty research and special initiatives A year later they made another major gift creating the Sinha Innovation Lab for Data ScienceEducation has opened doors for us throughout our lives and we want to hold those doors open for others Vikas Sinha saidIt is a large part of why Anu and I believe so strongly in what UNT can make possible for students including those who may come here from another country carrying the same ambition and belief in education that we once didFor us this gift is about paying that opportunity forward and recognising that immigrants dont simply participate in the American dream they help build it he saidArtificial intelligence will be one of the defining technologies of our generation and universities have an essential role to play in preparing the people who will shape its future he saidWhat excites us about UNTs vision is that it will go beyond teaching students how to use AI It will prepare them to build it understand it question it govern it and apply it responsibly developing both the builders and the stewards of intelligent systems he saidThe USD 20 million gift will establish six permanent endowments supporting college leadership student scholarships endowed professorships entrepreneurship and incubation advanced research and emerging technologiesThe college will be organised around two academic divisions Division of Applied Intelligence and Informatics focused on building and deploying intelligent systems and Division of Information and Learning Applications focused on how information and intelligent systems operate within human and institutional contextsThe college also will house the Applied Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Institute which will connect AI and analytics research and education across UNT and create opportunities for interdisciplinary research shared infrastructure external research funding and industry partnerships the statement saidAfter studying at Sri Venkateswara University and civil engineering at the G Pulla Reddy Engineering College in Kurnool Andhra Pradesh Vikas and Anuradha came to the United States for advanced education earning graduate degrees from the Florida Atlantic UniversityVikas later continued his education at Northwestern University before earning his PhD from the University of North Texas in 2023Vikas now serves as vice president of the Mainframe Software Division at Broadcom and has served on the UNT College of Information Leadership Board since 2023UNT President Harrison Keller said artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how we work conduct research and solve problems and universities have an important responsibility to help shape what comes nextThe Anuradha and Vikas Sinha College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics positions UNT to lead in that workVikas and Anuradhas commitment will create new opportunities for our students and faculty to build study and apply these technologies while advancing central priorities of our Look North UNT 2030 strategic plan reshaping how we prepare students for a changing labour market accelerating interdisciplinary research and innovation and creating enduring value for North Texas and the state Keller saidThe gift will advance UNTs goals around student success research and innovation while helping prepare graduates for a workforce increasingly shaped by AI and data UNT will celebrate the naming of the college with a university event later this year the statement saidThe University of North Texas is a public research university and the largest university in DallasFort Worth Through its campuses in Denton and Frisco Texas UNT serves nearly 44000 students with 230 degree programmes It awarded more than 13000 degrees last yearThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its 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