Nalanda University in Bihar, India, was an ancient center of learning that attracted scholars from around Asia, including the Tang dynasty monk Xuanzang, for over 700 years, between the fifth and twelfth centuries AD. It was an important part of India’s cultural legacy, but was destroyed by the invader Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1193 AD. Legends say that the library in the university was so vast, the blazed in a huge bonfire for days. On 8 September, a new international educational center is opening near the ancient university’s location. The new university is also appropriately called Nalanda Univeristy and was funded by the Indian government, with subsidiary funding from several countries including, Japan, China, and Australia.
The university has begun its first academic session with 15 students, 11 faculty members and two schools. The school had received over 1,000 applications from 40 countries including the US, Germany, Japan, Russia and Spain. More students will enroll soon as admissions are ongoing, said the university’s vice chancellor, Gopa Sabhrawal. By 2020, the university plans to open seven schools in the fields of science, philosophy, spirituality and social sciences, only for post-graduate and doctoral students.
The Indian government along with 18 other countries initiated the establishment of the university, with China pledging US$1 million, Singapore committing US$5 million, and Australia US$930,000. Nbel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen has been a vocal advocate and supporter of the project. In 2010 he had said, “At its peak it offered an enormous number of subjects in the Buddhist tradition, in a similar way that Oxford (offered) in the Christian tradition—Sanskrit, medicine, public health and economics.”
However, there are concerns that the university’s location in Bihar, an economically backward state in India, may limit the university’s appeal. As yet, much work needs to be done and funds acquired, to the tune of an estimated US$500 million, before the university reaches its full-fledged status.