Visitor | President of India |
---|---|
Nodal body | Ministry of External Affairs (India)[1] |
Type | Central university, International university, Research university |
Established | 2010 |
Chancellor | Arvind Panagariya |
Vice-Chancellor | Abhay Kumar Singh (Interim) |
Academic staff | 45 (2022) |
Students | 1,038 (2024)[2] |
Location | , , 25°01′06″N 85°22′38″E / 25.01828°N 85.37715°E |
Campus | 485 acres |
Website | nalandauniv |
Nālandā University 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 (MEA) of the Government of India,[3] 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 cultural and historical legacy, Nālandā University is widely considered to be one of the most celebrated and prestigious universities in the nation,[4][5][6][7] and a focal point in the revival of the Sanātana Dharma in India.[8][9][10]
The university was established by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 2010, with the President of India serving as the Visitor.[11] It is an international university supported by 18 member countries of the East Asia Summit,[12] with the initial proposal being placed by the former President of India A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.[13] The first Chancellor of the university was Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, followed by Singapore's Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo.[14]
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.[15] The new campus was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on June 19, 2024 in the presence of officials, ambassadors and dignitaries from all 18 ASEAN members.[16]
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.[17][18]