- Thursday, December 26, 2024
During his 10-year-long tenure as chancellor, the university established its Dubai campus and launched the India Institute
By: Shajil Kumar
THE UNIVERSITY of Birmingham recently unveiled a portrait of Lord Karan Bilimoria, to commemorate his tenure as its seventh chancellor.
Bilimoria, the first India-born chancellor of a Russell Group university in Britain, has stepped down.
During his 10-year-long tenure, the university established its Dubai campus, which now hosts nearly 2,000 students from around 100 countries, offering a diverse range of courses.
The other significant milestones include the launch of the India Institute in 2017/18, a joint master’s degree in AI and Data Science with IIT Madras in 2023, followed by another joint degree in Sustainable Energy Systems in 2024.
As chancellor, Bilimoria also oversaw the opening of the University of Birmingham School and the library in 2015/16. In 2017/18, he inaugurated the Sports and Fitness Centre, featuring a swimming pool.
Bilimoria’s portrait was crafted by Benjamin Sullivan, whose other illustrious works include a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which is displayed at the National Portrait Gallery.
Clare Mullett, the university’s Head of Research and Cultural Collections, said, “This portrait of Lord Bilimoria will be a superb addition to the Campus Art Collection. Benjamin Sullivan has captured a strong likeness…above all he has captured a sense of the man himself, which I’m sure those that know him will recognise.”
