Our Mission and Vision

The mission of the Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta Family Foundation (MFF) is to grow intellectual talent in India in emerging fields of technology. MFF advances this mission by building collaborative relationships between leading international faculty and Indian academic institutions and by creating new schools and degree programs in such fields as data science, artificial intelligence, and bioengineering. Together, MFF, MFF CARE advisors, and the Indian academic institutions 

• jointly design curriculum and research programs that incorporate innovative ideas developing in the new fields of study.
• foster mentorship programs for junior faculty members.
• publish co-authored papers in top scientific journals, raising the rankings of Indian academic institutions and their faculty.
• produce high-quality research yielding local and global impacts.
• promote joint development with international universities, expanding research capabilities and facilitating international and interdisciplinary research collaboration.
• solve problems specific to India and society and improve society through new technology, applications, and growth.
• develop new startups to move research into the societal marketplace.
  implement planned funding programs.
• develop interdisciplinary and research-based programs.

MFF’s approach to accomplishing these objectives involves

• working with Indian educational institutions that have faculty committed to nurturing the startup of new degree programs and schools in India.
• engaging international advisors to mentor the new programs/schools and cultivate collaborative environments.
• promoting a knowledge exchange driven by defined joint research projects between the new programs/schools and international institutions.
• hosting a distinguished speaker series that will connect students and faculty with international scholars who will
  • • provide students and faculty with access to experts in the field.
    • increase knowledge of the fields and advance development of the new program centers.
    • introduce students to new ideas and areas of study and research.
    • offer opportunities for collaboration with other researchers.
• Requiring each new school/program to have, as a driving vision, a set of clearly defined “grand challenges” in the field of study. These grand challenges
  • • should be multi-year and have a wide impact on the field of study.
    • could focus on key research areas to answer specific questions that may form the basis for a larger problem.
    • could address translational options, i.e., translating knowledge into application.
• Requiring each new school/program to have clearly defined success criteria in place to track progress, changes, and milestones; these criteria must be regularly reviewed and adjusted as research in the field progresses.
• Strategically investing in new schools/programs that keep pace with emerging technologies. These new schools/programs will be founded at existing academic institutions in which
  • • a cohort of faculty members is committed to developing the new program/school for a particular field of study.
    • faculty members have knowledge of and dedication to the field.
    • faculty members have connections to leaders in the field and definite plans to expand the field of study.
    • procedures exist to recruit and select students, including those interested in minoring in the field of study.
    • students can earn advanced degrees in the field of study (degrees may be through an associated department).

This approach advances MFF’s mission of investing in fields of study critical to the future development of science, technology, and individuals by creating a well-educated and highly skilled workforce that will drive innovation in India and beyond.