The International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS-TIFR) is pleased to announce the establishment of the P. Rajagopalan Visiting Chair Professorship, made possible through a generous endowment from Ms. Vidya Rajagopalan, Vice President of Electrical Hardware at Rivian, in honour of her father, Mr. P. Rajagopalan. The Chair celebrates Mr. Rajagopalan's profound love for the sciences, his spirit of innovation, and his deep devotion to India. An engineer by profession, Mr. Rajagopalan had a long and distinguished career, rising to the position of Chairman of the Indian Ordnance Factories.
The Visiting Chair Professorship will bring distinguished senior scientists and thought leaders from around the world to ICTS, where they will engage with the academic community through lectures, mentoring, collaborative interactions, and other scholarly activities. By fostering sustained engagement with leading researchers, the Chair will enrich the Centre's intellectual environment, inspire young scientists, and strengthen international scientific collaborations.
The Chair will support a range of academic activities, including public lectures, seminars, workshops, and opportunities for interaction with students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty members.
Established as a perpetual endowment, the P. Rajagopalan Visiting Chair Professorship will serve as a lasting tribute to the values of intellectual curiosity, learning, and scientific excellence while advancing ICTS's mission of promoting world-class research in the fundamental sciences.
The inaugural P. Rajagopalan Memorial Lecture under the P. Rajagopalan Visiting Chair Professorship was delivered by Prof. Subir Sachdev, Herchel Smith Professor of Physics at Harvard University, on 13 July 2026. In his lecture, Quantum Entanglement in Nature: From Superconductors to Black Holes, Prof. Sachdev explored how quantum entanglement provides a unifying framework for understanding phenomena ranging from high-temperature superconductors to black holes. The lecture drew a large audience of researchers, students, and members of the public, marking the beginning of a distinguished lecture series that will bring world-leading scientists to ICTS and inspire future generations of researchers.
ICTS was delighted to have Ms. Vidya Rajagopalan for the dedication of the P. Rajagopalan Visiting Chair Professorship and the inaugural Memorial Lecture. Her presence made the occasion especially meaningful and marked the beginning of this important new initiative at ICTS.
