Koshal Lecture Series supports speaking engagements to promote global understanding of India

Funding to promote global understanding of Indian culture is available to the OHIO community through the Professors Rajindar and Manjulika Koshal Lecture Series Endowment. During International Education Week 2023, Drs. Rajindar and Manjulika Koshal have agreed to match every donation, up to $25,000, to this endowment.

Faculty, administrative staff, and student groups at all Ohio University campuses are eligible to apply for Koshal Lecture Series funds up to $1,000 per lecture to cover the lecturer’s honorarium and other arrangements, such as travel and accommodations. Up to two lectures will be funded, annually.

Invited guest speakers will share expertise on a topic related to Indian culture, economy, history, dance, music, philosophy, medicine, science, or politics that will promote a deeper understanding of India at Ohio University. 

Dr. Rajindar K. Koshal, Ohio University Professor Emeritus of Economics in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Manjulika Koshal, Ohio University Professor Emerita, are long time members of the OHIO and Athens communities. They have shared their academic expertise with the University through various capacities since 1965. Rajindar and Manjulika Koshal have been committed to sharing the culture and vibrancy of India with southeast Ohio through the Friends of India, which was established in 1986 alongside faculty, students and community members who wished to develop a better understanding between the two largest democracies, India and the United States.

It is from this legacy of robust connections that the Professors Rajindar and Manjulika Koshal Lecture Series Endowment was established. The Koshal Lecture Series seeks to enrich the University community by fostering opportunities to bring engaging speakers to campus to enhance cultural understanding and knowledge related to India.

“Dr. Stanley Williams, one of my prior Executive MBA students, provided a generous donation of $50,000 in 2012 to establish an endowment in my name and many other alumni and family members have since contributed, as well,” Raj Koshal said. “The Koshal Lecture Series, which is funded by the endowment and bears the names of both Manjulika and myself, will bring renowned speakers from across the world to Ohio University to provide various viewpoints and insights regarding Indian topics for years to come; it’s a humbling legacy we will leave.”

“Opportunities and support for engaging talks about India will bring a wealth of knowledge to OHIO and the region. Our university is culturally vibrant and diverse and, through these amazing networks, we are all afforded wonderful opportunities to expand our global knowledge and insights. We are thankful for the generosity that our alumni community as well as Professors Rajindar and Manjulika Koshal have provided to help the university community better understand and appreciate the topics related to India,” Ji-Yeung Jang, interim executive director for Global Affairs, said.

The Inaugural Koshal Keynote Lecture took place during the International Education Week in 2019, and was funded through the Koshal Lecture Series Endowment. It was delivered by Professor Bhanu Kapil, a British-Indian writer and poet, and was entitled "Notes for the Future Before It Has Arrived: The Coming Power of the Stranger.”

The call for applications for the Koshal Lecture Series can be found at https://www.ohio.edu/oga/koshal-lecture-series. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Contact the Office of Global Affairs at globalaffairs@ohio.edu with any questions regarding the Professors Rajindar and Manjulika Koshal Lecture Series and/or proposal submission.

This story was originally published on May 6, 2022. Last updated on Nov. 14, 2023.