The Tata institute of Fundamental Research was founded in 1945, and officially deemed as a university in 2002. It was founded as a means of educating a new generation of scientists and providing them with the facilities, expertise and resources to make new inroads into various fields of science. The institute is based in the city of Mumbai, India, a major global economic and cultural centre. Whilst the main university campus does provide for its students, with dining, accommodation, and recreational facilities on offer, its proximity to the city of Mumbai offers an enormous amount with regards to activities for its students. Despite its urban location, the university is placed right at the southern tip of Mumbai and has numerous rural trappings on campus such as botanical gardens, meaning that students do not have to adapt to permanently living in such a large city without respite. In terms of academia, the institute offers programs only to graduates, and the bulk of its focus remains on research in mathematics and various scientific disciplines. As a result of this, the institute is most notable for its research facilities that can be made available to students and faculty. These include a biomedical laboratory, a low temperature facility, as well as various engineering and manufacturing areas. The institute has produced a number of distinguished alumni across the scientific spectrum, including mathematician Harish-Chandra, string theorist Ashoke Sen, and the biologist Veronica Rodrigues.
