Prestigious Medal of Honour Awarded to Gajendra Verma

Emeritus Professor Gajendra Verma, formerly Dean of the Research and Graduate School and the holder of the Sarah Fielden Chair in Education, University of Manchester, U.K., has been awarded the prestigious University of Manchester Medal of Honour at a presentation ceremony and celebration dinner at the University. The medal was presented by Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester, U.K., following a tribute by Professor Mel West, Head of the School of Education.

The award was made because Emeritus Professor Gajendra Verma has made a significant contribution to the U.K. University and to educational thinking world-wide over a period of more than thirty years, chiefly through his contribution to increasing understanding of, and between, different ethnic groups.

Gajendra, now a British Citizen, was born in Bihar State, India, and educated at universities in India and the UK, He has been a pioneer in modern educational methodology and was one of the first representatives from an ethnic minority background to be appointed a Professor of Education in the U.K., He played an important role in establishing the U.K. University's world-class reputation for research into issues of equality and social justice. Gajendra has been extremely active in research in his field, both nationally and internationally. He is the author of many academic publications and text books, and in international demand as one of education's most influential figures.

More recently, Gajendra established The Kanka-Gajendra Foundation U.K. and The Kanka-Gajendra Foundation Trust, India, in memory of his beloved late wife Dr. Kanka Mallick-Verma. Kanka, (a renowned and forward-thinking educationalist in her own right), was also personally involved during the last three decades in many humanitarian projects. The Kanka-Gajendra Foundation U.K. and The Kanka-Gajendra Foundation Trust, India, are now the vehicles by which this good work may be actively continued into the future.