Nālandā University | |
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Nālandā Vishwavidyalaya | |
Full name | Nālandā University Rajgir |
Motto | Ā no bhadrāḥ kratavo yantu viśvataḥ (Sanskrit)[1] |
Motto in English | Let noble thoughts come to us from all directions (Rigveda 1.89.1)[2] |
Founder | Ministry of External Affairs (India)[3] |
Established | 25 November 2010[4] |
Named for | Nalanda Mahavihara |
Previous names | Nalanda International University |
Architectural style | Vastu Shastra[5] |
Status | Research university, International university, Central university (India), Institutes of National Importance (INI) |
Colors | |
President | Prof. Arvind Panagariya (Chancellor) |
Dean | Prof. Abhay Kumar Singh (Interim Vice-Chancellor) |
Undergraduates | None, Postgraduation only |
Postgraduates | 1,038[6] |
Endowment | $210 million[7] |
Visitor | President of India |
Affiliations | NAAC, UGC, Ministry of External Affairs (India) |
Website | nalandauniv |
Map | |
Nālandā University (NU; ISO: Nālandā Vishwavidyalaya) is a premier research university located in the ancient city of Rajgir in the state of Bihar, India. Designated as an Institute of National Importance (INI) and excellence, it is the flagship project of the Ministry of External Affairs (India)[8] and the direct successor of the famed Nalanda monastery of medieval Magadha. It is solely a postgraduate institute, offering only Master's and PhD degrees. Regarded as a symbol of India's academic and historical legacy, Nālandā University is considered to be one of the most eminent and celebrated universities in the nation,[9][10][11][12] and a focal point in the revival of the Sanātana Dharma in India.[13][14][15]
The university was established by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 2010, with the President of India serving as the Visitor.[16] It is an international university supported by 18 member countries of the East Asia Summit,[17] with the initial proposal being placed by the former President of India A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.[18] The first Chancellor of the university was Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, followed by Singapore's Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo.[19]
Built at an initial cost of $210 million and spread over 485 acres, the campus is among the largest in India and the first in the country to implement a 'Net Zero' eco-recycling strategy.[20] The university offers degree programmes in the School of Historical Studies (SHS), the School of Ecology and Environment Studies (SEES), the School of Buddhist Studies (SBS), the School of Philosophy and Comparative Religions (SPCR), the School of Languages and Literature/Humanities (SLLH), and the School of Management Studies (SMS). It also offers degrees in the study of the Sanātana Dharma, as well as diplomas in languages such as Sanskrit, Pāli, Tibetan, Japanese and Korean. The new campus in Rajgir was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on June 19, 2024 in the presence of officials, ambassadors and dignitaries from all 10 ASEAN members.[21]
Nālandā university has subsequently established MoUs and collaborations with Peking University, University of Ostrava, Dongguk University, Deakin University, Otani University, Kanazawa University, The City University of New York, Chulalongkorn University, ICWA, IIPHG, ASI, ICCR, ISEAS, IIAS and CSIR.[22][23]