The Ferdowsi Presidential Chair in Zoroastrian Studies, the first of its kind in the United States, will be instituted at The University of California, Irvine (UCI) thanks to a challenge commitment of USD 1.5 million (Rs 11,25,15,000) from the Massiah Foundation, noted an announcement on the website of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA). This gift elicited an additional USD 500,000 (Rs 3,75,05,000) from the UC Presidential Match for Endowed Chairs program. The Ferdowsi Chair will be UCI’s fifth endowed chair in Persian studies, more than any other university in the US. The holder of the Chair — which will be supported by the Department of Classics and the Program in Religious Studies — will be a recognized expert on Zoroastrianism.
Top: Fariborz Maseeh’s "philanthropic investment" in
The University of California, Irvine Photo: Wikipedia
"By broadening UCI’s Persian studies program to include Zoroastrianism, we encourage young people to enrich their multicultural awareness — an essential component of working and living in a modern, multiethnic society,” stated Fariborz Maseeh, founder of the Massiah Foundation that was established in 2001. As reiterates the Foundation website, "We do not give gifts, we make philanthropic investments.”
At the XVII North American Zoroastrian Congress in California in end 2014, Maseeh had stated, "I am not a Zoroastrian. My ancestors were not courageous enough to withstand persecution.” He had commented then that venture giving is "active giving” where one looks for a right cause which has transformational or abundant impact on society (see "Candor in California,” Parsiana, January 21, 2015).
The website of the Massiah Foundation describes Maseeh as a scientist and an entrepreneur with a background in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics that inspired him to pursue the field of micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS). His firm IntelliSense was formed with the vision to reduce the time and expanse of creating next-generation MEMS devices with broad industrial and humanitarian applications from airport landing gear to pacemakers. "As his company grew, so did his desire to give back to the community. Ever grateful to his inspiring teachers and educational institutions that nurtured his skills and dreams, his philanthropy is inclined towards education, youth, scientific innovation, heathcare and culture.”
The Ferdowsi Presidential Chair will be affiliated with UCI’s Samuel Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture set up 15 years earlier by the Massiah Foundation. UCI history professor Touraj Daryaee, the Maseeh Chair in Persian Studies and Culture and director of the Jordan Center stated, "The Ferdowsi Chair will enhance the already rich, global, historical and cultural study that takes place in the Center, further raising its distinction not just at UCI but throughout the world.”
Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. Offering 222 degree programs to more than 36,000 students, it is Orange county’s second largest employer, contributing five billion dollars annually to the local economy, according to the University website.