Renowned educationalist and researcher Prof. PK Mathew Tharakan passes away

BRUSSELS: Renowned educationist, historian, and researcher Prof Dr PK Mathew Tharakan passed away at the age of 89. He breathed his last at 7:45 pm on Sunday in Brussels. The funeral will take place later in Brussels. He was the son of the late Kochupappu Tharakan and Rosakkutty from Cherthala Thaikkattussery. Wife: Annie Belpeor. Children: Joseph, Thomas. Daughter-in-law: Lisa.

Siblings include former RAW chief and former DGP Hormis Tharakan, former Vice Chancellor Michael Tharakan, Anthony who served in Rajiv Gandhi's SPG, Rita Joseph Alappatt, Kochuthresia Philip Manippadam, late Mariyamma Mathew Alappatt, Abraham Tharakan, Joseph Tharakan, Elamma Thomas Alappat, George Tharakan, and Jacob Tharakan.

Dr Mathew Tharakan was the former chairman of Ernakulam Law College. After completing his LLB, he went to the United States in 1958 for further studies. Later, he settled in Belgium. He was the Director of the Center for Development Studies at the University of Antwerp in Brussels. He was a visiting professor at several universities. He has authored 12 books.

The research book 'Profiles of Parayil Tarakans', which chronicles the history of the Parayil family and the Syro-Malabar Church, had garnered significant attention. He was in the final stages of publishing the Malayalam edition. He was the editor of the European edition of 'The World Economy'. He was a student of Jan Tinbergen, who won the first Nobel Prize in Economics. He had close ties with renowned economists like Amartya Sen and Jagdish Bhagwati.