Dr HR Nagendra is the Vice-Chancellor of the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (S-VYASA), a deemed university in Bangalore with research as a focus.
Born in 1943, Dr Nagendra qualified in mechanical engineering and held research posts in a number of esteemed international universities and research centres, including Harvard University in the USA. From 1970 to 1971 he was a post-doctoral research associate at NASA in the USA.
In 1975 he joined the Vivekananda Kendra, a service mission, to pursue “human engineering” rather than mechanical engineering. He served for many years as Secretary of the Vivekananda Kendra Yoga Therapy & Research Committee, and later as Secretary of the Vivekananda Kendra Yoga Research Foundation. From 1993 to 1999 Dr Nagendra held the post of all-India Vice President of Vivekananda Kendra, and in 2002, Dr Nagendra became the first Vice-Chancellor of S-VYASA.
Dr Nagendra has developed yoga research projects both in India and abroad in a range of yogic applications, including yoga therapy, and has published numerous book and research papers in the field of yoga. He is also the editor of a journal and magazines on yoga, and has developed curricula for a number of yoga courses. Dr Nagendra has served on many expert committees and boards advising governments and other bodies, and has received numerous awards and distinctions for his contributions to yoga therapy and yogic education.