On Wednesday, Nalanda University’s new campus in Rajgir, Bihar, was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Nalanda University Act of 2010 established Nalanda University, which has its new campus situated next to its old ruins. This Act was the result of a decision made in 2007 during the second East Asia Summit in the Philippines.
The university of Nalanda’s ancient history
Originally founded in the fifth century, Nalanda University was a well-known university that drew students from all over the world. Before it was destroyed in the 12th century, it flourished for 800 years.
What courses are available at Nalanda University now?
With just 14 students, the contemporary institution started operations in 2014 in a temporary facility. In 2017, work on the new campus began.
The School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy & Comparative Religions, the School of Historical Studies, the School of Ecology and Environmental Studies, and the School of Sustainable Development and Management are the current six schools housed within the institution.
International students in Nalanda University
17 other nations have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) endorsing Nalanda University. These nations include Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Indonesia, and Thailand. International students can apply for 137 scholarships offered by the university.
International students from Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ghana, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, the USA, and Zimbabwe are enrolled in the PhD programme for 2023–2027 and the postgraduate programmes for 2022–2024 and 2023–2025.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that the restoration of the historic university would usher in a golden age for India after officially opening the renovated Nalanda campus. There were representatives from 17 countries at the event, as well as Union Minister for External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Less than 20 km from the campus, PM Modi also visited the historic Nalanda University ruins before to the inauguration.
In his speech, Dr. S. Jaishankar, the Union Minister for External Affairs, said, “Today, we are here to see the return of a global bridge of learning that can strengthen relationships even more than before.” The best ways to improve understanding between countries are through education, training, and building up people’s skills. There were also ambassadors from 17 different countries at the event. Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar, praised the history of the old university and said, “The Nalanda University has a glorious history.” In earlier times, the Nalanda University was known as the educational hub.
The 2010 establishment of the new Nalanda University is situated less than 20 kilometres from the World Heritage-listed old University remains of Nalanda Mahavira. Prior to that, member nations supported a plan at the East Asia Summit to create an international university modelled by its namesake, an ancient centre of learning that operated until the 13th century. A P J Abdul Kalam, the late president, proposed the resuscitation of the old institution in his speech to the Bihar Assembly’s joint session.
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