By Daniel Rothberg

The school announced a new initiative focused on Asian studies that will support curriculum development, faculty grants, an exchange program and a speaker series. Applications for faculty grants will open by the end of this school year. A lead gift from the Gunter family and the Gross family will fund the Gunter-Gross Asia Initiative. 

“They have donated some money to the school that will allow us to develop any aspect of the program that falls under the umbrella of Asian studies,” Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts said.

In addition to providing immediate funding for Asian studies, some funds will be placed in an endowment, Chief Advancement Officer Ed Hu said in March.

“The other part of the gift will be to set up an endowment so it will always be there to kick-off money every year,” Hu said.

Huybrechts said she can envision restrictive gifts that target specific aspects of the program, such as the Gunter-Gross Asia Initiative, becoming more typical in the future.

“I can imagine this being more the norm in the future. As there are fewer and fewer buildings to build and certainly interest in programs to support at the school.”