Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) is a research and education institute in Chennai, India. It was founded by the SPIC Science Foundation in 1989, and offers undergraduate as well as postgraduate programmes in physics, mathematics and computer science, besides its key strength in the form of high-end research in mathematics. CMI is noted for its research in the field of algebraic geometry, in particular in the area of moduli bundles. CMI was earlier located in T. Nagar in the heart of Chennai in an office complex. It moved to a new 5-acre (20,000 m) campus in Siruseri in October 2005. In December 2006, CMI was recognized as a university under Section 3 of the UGC Act 1956, making it a deemed university. Until then, the teaching program was offered in association with Bhoj Open University, as it offered more flexibility. CMI began as the School of Mathematics, SPIC Science Foundation, in 1989. The SPIC Science Foundation was set up in 1986 by Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation Ltd (SPIC), one of the major industrial houses in India, to foster the growth of science and technology in the country.