Nalanda varsity campus likley to start functioning from 2013

Updated on: Tuesday, February 22, 2011

India's illustrious Nalanda University indicated that the campus could start functioning from 2013, offering programmes which are intellectually challenging and practically useful.

"Possible date to start classes could be 2013," said Vice Chancellor Gopa Sabharwal, adding, university's master plan would be finalised through a global design competition involving the best brains.

Talking to reporters flanked by chairman of the mentor group Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and Singapore foreign Minister George Yeo, Sabharwal said the Bihar Government has already handed over 446 acres of land for the campus, which is
about 10 km from the ancient Nalanda site.

They met here for the first governing board meeting today after the university act came into being.

Sabharwal said they were getting "fantastic" support from the Bihar Government for the project and cooperation from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Sen said the university will not only generate skilled hands and technical knowledge in the State, it will also generate employment opportunities as the State gets a world class university in the process.

Observing that he was delighted the ancient university could be revived in his lifetime, Sen said "excellence and fairness in educating people which are intellectually challenging and practically useful would be the guiding principles of the university.

He also expressed confidence that the university would be seemingly "recognised for its achievements" 20 years down the line.

Sabharwal said the programmes to be offered in round one include Buddhist studies, philosophy and comparative religion, historical studies and international relations and peace studies.

Besides these, courses will be offered in business management in relation to public policy and development studies, languages and literature, ecology and environment
studies and information sciences and technology in round one.

The project, being piloted by the Ministry of External Affairs, will have involvement of East Asian countries, including China.

The East Asian Summit, a block of 16 countries, is supporting the project.

Sabharwal said one of the efforts of the university would be to identify the 200 villages which played a key role in establishing the ancient university and reaching out to them.

Nalanda varsity campus likley to start functioning from 2013

More Education news