 
The initial incentive for an Einstein Institute originated at The Humboldt
University with members of the Tagore-Einstein Council in Berlin Germany
a decade ago. Through the efforts of Professor D. K. Sinha, Vice-Chancellor
Visva Bharati University (VBU), one of India's most prestigious federal
universities, this idea has come to fruition. An Einstein Institute in
India was established in 1997 at VBU, the university founded by Tagore,
to be a permanent research center under central government support with
further funding being offered by government agencies of Germany and Japan,
as well as private and corporate donors. A US counterpart to the Indian
and German Einstein Institutes was initiated at the University of Connecticut
in the Summer of 2000 to help promote a common agenda of scientific research,
technological partnerships, joint education programs, and cultural exchange.
The long range plan is to make the Einstein Institutes a bridge between
the East and the West over which a mutually beneficial exchange of ideas,
people, and assistance is made possible. The motivation of this collaborative
endeavor is a profound belief in the practicality of a commitment to
consilience--the mutual support of knowledge endeavors across disciplines
and national boundaries.
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