Ashoka University launches Rakesh Jhunjhunwala School of Economics and Finance

With a focus on finance and the economy, the school will aim to advance research on inclusive and equitable development. Late Rakesh Jhunjhunwala was associated with the University in 2016.  

In recognition of the support received over the years from the philanthropist and ‘Big Bull’ of the modern investment era, Ashoka University today launched the Rakesh Jhunjhunwala School of Economics and Finance.

With a focus on finance and the economy, the school will aim to advance research on inclusive and equitable development. Late Rakesh Jhunjhunwala was associated with the University in 2016.  

The current Department of Economics, its educational programs and the Centre for Economic Data Analysis (CEDA) will become part of the School, which will further expand to build new Centres of Excellence focussed on research in the fields of economics and finance. The areas of educational programs and research will evolve in due course of time.

Sharing her thoughts on the launch, Rekha Jhunjhunwala, wife of Late Rakesh Jhunjhunwala said, “My husband’s dream was to build a world class university in India for which he supported Ashoka University from its inception. It is a proud moment for me to see this dream being fulfilled and realised through the naming of the top Economics School in India as the Rakesh Jhunjhunwala School of Economics and Finance. There is no better way to celebrate his legacy,” 

“Ashoka thrives on its ability to attract the best faculty from across the globe and offer them a platform to pursue their research and enrich students by helping them realise their potential. The Rakesh Jhunjhunwala School of Economics and Finance will offer significant opportunities for interaction between its exemplary faculty and students, a platform for discussion and debate with peers and the world at large, and access to a wide range of resources for research and analysis,” added Professor Somak Raychaudhury, Vice Chancellor, Ashoka University. 

Sharing his thoughts on the occasion, Dr Pramath Raj Sinha, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Ashoka University said, “Rakesh Bhai was a true fan of Ashoka and was very proud of his association with the University. Ashoka to him was about nation-building. He pushed us to build a university that India would showcase to the world. The support of stalwarts like late Rakesh Bhai and continued by his family further ensures that Ashoka is well on its path to create an institution of excellence in both teaching and research out of India.  The RJ School of Economics and Finance is in line with our emphasis on building Schools and Centres for interdisciplinary research that will further create unique solutions aimed at addressing the challenges of in our country and the Global South.”

The Department of Economics at Ashoka University has 29 permanent faculty members with research and teaching interests that span a broad range of fields which include economic theory, game theory, behavioural economics, experimental economics, theoretical and empirical macroeconomics, monetary economics, economic growth, development economics, time-series econometrics and different areas of applied microeconomics and financial economics. The Department offers a major in Economics and interdisciplinary majors in Economics & Finance, Economics & History, and Politics, Philosophy & Economics (PPE).

The Department also offers an MA in Economics and a PhD in Economics at the graduate level. In 2020 it was rated the top Economics Department in the country by RePEc. The Centre for Economic Data and Analysis (CEDA) primarily focuses on facilitating informed debate about economic and social developments in India. CEDA has developed a unique public data repository along with a visualization toolkit that is accessible, searchable and interactive. It is extensively referred to by researchers, policymakers, students and others.

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