NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul has donated $500,000 to the Carnegie Mellon University in North America for developing an infant Lab Suite in memory of his daughter Ambika.
Lord Paul, who saved the London Zoo from closure with a donation of 1 million pounds in the early 1990s, made the donation to the American University through the Ambika Paul Foundation.
The objective of the suite is to design interventions to help children with developmental disabilities such as autism and specific language impairment.
Resident Professors David Rakison and Erik Thiessen are at the leading edge of research dedicated to understanding how infants think and learn.
Research will focus on understanding how infants achieve cognitive and linguistic milestones.
Carnegie Mellon is a global research university recognised for its world-class arts and technology programmes and its innovative leadership in education.
A representative from the university said, "The knowledge gained from research endeavours like these is critically important for designing interventions that can help children with developmental disabilities such as autism and Specific Language impairment".
The Ambika Paul Foundation promotes education, culture and health around the world and no more so than in India
where projects include the development of a cultural Centre, a School of Manufacturing and Material Technology, a sports stadium and community health centre.