The University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles (USA) is creating its first Chair of Hindu Studies.

Funded by a $3.24 million gift from Dharma Civilization Foundation, it will be named as Swami Vivekananda Visiting Faculty in Hindu Studies and the Dharma Civilization Foundation Chair in Hindu Studies.  Over 1,800 Indian students are currently enrolled at USC.

Welcoming the establishment of Hindu Studies Chair, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this Chair would focus in this direction.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged other major universities of the world to establish chairs in Hindu studies to explore and disseminate the rich philosophical thought that Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents, offered.

USC, launched in 1880 with 53 students; now has about 38,000 students, over 240,000 living alumni, 17 professional schools and an annual budget of $3.2 billion. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has nominated at least one USC alumnus every year since the inception of the Academy Awards in 1929; and since 1912, USC is the only university in the world to have a gold medal-winning athlete in every summer Olympiad. It boasts of three Nobel Laureates and many prominent alumni including actor John Wayne and first-man-on-the-moon Neil Armstrong. Annual undergraduate tuition is $42,818. C. L. Max Nikias, Elizabeth Garrett and Duncan Williams are President, Provost and Religion School Chair respectively.