Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is regarded as the premier research institution in the country and a place where most of the cutting edge research happens. But have you wondered how the institution got to where it is today? Dr. Surja Datta, a senior lecturer at Oxford Brookes Business School, tries to answer this question through the lens of history. In his chapter titled ‘Indian Institute of Science: A Paradigm shift’ in the book ‘A History of the University System’, he explores the history of the institution, when the colonial British government was in a tussle with native industrialists about the vision of the institution. Although it’s main sponsor Jamsetji Tata envisaged the institution as a world class “University of Research”, this vision remained unfulfilled throughout his lifetime. However, today IISc enjoys the title of a premier research institution in the country and is often ranked at the top by various ranking agencies around the world. The chapter looks at the journey of the institution since its inception, and the rich history of the institution that got it to where it is today.