Community Partner Spotlight: The Roundglass India Center
October 21, 2025
SAL is excited to spotlight our community partner The Roundglass India Center, an academic center guided by the mission to educate communities about India and India Americans. We’re delighted to partner with the center on our upcoming Community Curated Series event with Padma Lakshmi on November 18 at Benaroya Hall.
Read more about their events and community engagement and how to be a part of the conversation!
THE ROUNDGLASS INDIA CENTER: EDUCATE, CONNECT, GIVE BACK
Seattle University’s Roundglass India Center is the first academic center of its kind in the Pacific Northwest dedicated to exploring contemporary India and Indian Americans. Established in 2021 by Professor of Law Sital Kalantry with a transformative gift from Roundglass Foundation’s Gurpreet “Sunny” Singh, the Center has grown into a hub for scholarship, culture, and dialogue. Guided by the mission to educate communities about India and Indian Americans, create people-to-people connections across borders, and give back through impactful programming and research, the Center is shaping how students, faculty, and the broader community engage with one of the world’s most important countries.
WHY AN INDIA CENTER?
India today is the world’s most populous democracy, the fastest-growing major economy, and home to one of the globe’s most dynamic diasporas. In Washington State alone, a growing Indian American community contributes to innovation, health care, education, and public service. Yet, despite India’s global role, its complexities and cultural richness remain underrepresented in U.S. public discourse.
The Roundglass India Center bridges this gap. By fostering scholarship, convening conversations, and creating space for cultural exchange, the Center makes India and its global diaspora a living, relevant part of academic and civic life.
April 5th, 2024 – Nobel Peace Prize Winner Kailash Satyarthi & the Movement for Global Compassion.
Photo by: Aidan Sales
OUR CORE PROGRAMS
High-Caliber Speaker Events
The Center is best known for its signature public conversations, which bring exceptional voices to Seattle University and the region. These events are free and open to students, faculty, and community members, offering a rare chance to hear directly from leaders shaping India and the diaspora today. Highlights include:
- In 2025, we hosted Congressman Ro Khanna for an armchair conversation on the future of U.S.–India technology cooperation. We also welcomed Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi for a dialogue on bipartisan innovation policy and the role of the Indian American community in strengthening U.S.–India ties. Together, these discussions drew policy leaders, tech professionals, and students into substantive exchange on democracy, economics, and the next decade of collaboration.
- In 2024, we were honored to feature Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi for a campus-wide program on child rights, the eradication of child labor and trafficking, and the power of compassion to transform communities. His call to moral courage and collective action connected human rights to law, business, public health, and civic leadership—hallmarks of the Center’s cross-disciplinary approach.
November 12th, 2024 – India Culture Week at Seattle University.
Photo by: Yosef Kalinko
Cultural Diplomacy and Community EngagementOur November 2024 India Culture Week turned campus into a vibrant hub of performances, workshops, and talks open to the general public. Seattle University became the first U.S. university to host this program in partnership with the Consulate General of India in Seattle. Events included a Madhubani painting workshop, yoga and wellness sessions, and classical dance performances—illustrating how cultural programming can also open important discussions about diplomacy, identity, and community.
Faculty ResearchThrough the Raman Family Faculty Research and Course Development Grants, Seattle University faculty expand scholarship on India, South Asia, and the diaspora. Each fall, we host a Faculty Research Symposium, where grantees present projects on topics ranging from climate change activism to gender and migration. These gatherings transform faculty research into public-facing conversations, open to the public.
Digital Programs for Global ReachFor audiences beyond Seattle, our digital portfolio extends the Center’s impact through podcasts and webinars which have reached audiences in 35 U.S. States, 25 countries, and 5 continents. Our flagship podcast Desi Roots & Routes amplifies diaspora voices—featuring Seattle’s Indian American leaders such as novelist Sonora Jha, Seattle Orcas Co-Owner Sanjay Parthasarathy, and MSNBC Medical Correspondent Dr. Vin Gupta, weaving personal journeys with expert commentary. The Center also produces webinar series that explore policy and civic life. In early 2025, the four-part series Indian Americans and the Trump Administration convened scholars, policy and legal experts, and practitioners to examine how the Trump Administration’s policies shape the lives of Indian Americans in areas such as immigration, public health, the future of universities, and U.S. foreign policy with India. These digital programs make our content accessible everywhere.
WHY IT MATTERS
The Roundglass India Center is more than a series of events—it is a platform for education and exchange. Our speaker programs open windows into India’s politics, economics, technology, and culture, while connecting local communities to global conversations.
Our work is guided by three pillars:
- Educate: Inspire curiosity and understanding through world-class talks, cultural programs, and public scholarship.
- Connect: Link people, institutions, and ideas across borders and disciplines.
- Give Back: Invest in faculty research, student scholarship, and justice-oriented initiatives that uplift India.
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY
Be first to hear about upcoming speakers, culture programs, and new podcast and webinar episodes. Sign up, follow us, bring a friend, and be part of the conversation.
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