PETALING JAYA: Imperial College alumnus Brahmal Vasudevan and his wife Shanthi Kandhiah, who is the founder of law firm SK Chambers, have donated £25 million (RM138 million) to create the Brahmal Vasudevan Institute for Sustainable Aviation.
The donation was one of the largest in the university’s history and will make Imperial one of the world’s most significant centres for sustainable aviation research.
The college website said on May 30 that researchers at the institute would explore key elements of air travel such as fuel, aircraft design, air traffic control, aviation policies and airport infrastructure.
The institute would also pioneer aviation industry technologies to support a transition to zero pollution.
Imperial College London president Prof Alice Gast expressed gratitude to Brahmal and Shanthi, who are Malaysians, for their generosity and vision.
“They have provided us with an unprecedented opportunity to take on one of the greatest challenges in the fight against climate change. Translating scientific breakthroughs for societal benefit is Imperial’s mission, and this institute will empower our researchers to collaborate, innovate and pursue new ideas across fields. The benefits of this work will be felt for generations,” Gast said.
Other support for the Imperial College London included a £1.25 million donation to establish the Brahmal Vasudevan Multi-Terrain Aerial Robotics Arena in the Department of Aeronautics, and the gift of a new sculpture by world-renowned artist Antony Gormley, that is expected to be installed at Imperial’s South Kensington Campus in autumn.
At the launch of the Brahmal Vasudevan Multi-Terrain Aerial Robotics Arena, Brahmal said: “Moving towards zero pollution is a mammoth task and aviation, in particular, is a complicated sector to decarbonise.
“Tackling the problem (of pollution) systematically and coherently to achieve the goal of a net-zero sustainable economy, requires high levels of eco-innovation to succeed.
“Shanthi and I believe that there is no better institution in the world to drive pioneering work in this field, and we are delighted to support Imperial’s efforts.”
Brahmal, who graduated in 1990 with first-class honours in Aeronautical Engineering, is the founder and CEO of private equity firm Creador. His previous support includes pledging a RM50 million donation to the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) Education Fund.
In a statement on May 17, Utar said the funds were to be utilised for the construction and development of a RM330 million non-profit teaching hospital at the Utar Kampar campus in Perak.
Brahmal and Shanthi made the pledge via their trust, Alaka Holdings Ltd.
“Shanthi and I believe that everyone should have access to affordable, good quality medical care, and we are pleased to make this contribution to Utar to help make this vision a reality,” Brahmal said when making the pledge.
He added that the hospital would provide a vital service to the people of Kampar and its surrounding communities, and create programmes that would not only affect the health of communities but can also be leveraged in healthcare facilities across the country for all Malaysians.
