Nalanda University

For other uses, see Nalanda University (disambiguation).

Nālandā University
Nālandā Vishwavidyalaya
The campus in Rajgir at twilight
Full nameNālandā University Rajgir
MottoĀ no bhadrāḥ kratavo yantu viśvataḥ (Sanskrit)[1]
Motto in EnglishLet noble thoughts come to us from all directions (Rigveda 1.89.1)[2]
FounderMinistry of External Affairs (India)[3]
Established25 November 2010; 13 years ago (25 November 2010)[4]
Named forNalanda Mahavihara
Previous namesNalanda International University
Architectural styleVastu Shastra[5]
StatusResearch university, International university, Central university (India), Institutes of National Importance
Colors   
PresidentProf. Arvind Panagariya (Chancellor)
DeanProf. Abhay Kumar Singh (Interim Vice-Chancellor)
UndergraduatesNone, Postgraduation only
Postgraduates1,038[6]
Endowment$210 million[7]
VisitorPresident of India
AffiliationsNAAC, UGC
Websitenalandauniv.edu.in
Map
Nalanda University is located in India
Nalanda University
Location in India

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 prestigious 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]

  1. ^ "Nalanda University motto".
  2. ^ "Veda and Pura meanings".
  3. ^ "Financial Support to Nalanda University". Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Starting date of Nalanda University".
  5. ^ "Vastu Shilpa Consultants".
  6. ^ https://nalandauniv.edu.in/international-community/ [bare URL]
  7. ^ "Nalanda University financials".
  8. ^ "Financial Support to Nalanda University". Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  9. ^ "BBC: Nalanda, the University that changed the world".
  10. ^ "Nalanda University History: India's 1600-year-old Ivy League-like institution, the world's oldest".
  11. ^ "Nalanda University: A Modern Campus Steeped in Ancient Heritage".
  12. ^ "Nalanda University: An Ancient Indian Ivy-League Institution".
  13. ^ "Sanatana Dharma studies at Nalanda University".
  14. ^ "Revival of Sanatana Dharma at Nalanda".
  15. ^ "Nalanda University: A Tale of Legacy, Destruction and Revival".
  16. ^ "Bill No. XLIX of 2011: The Nalanda University Bill, 2010". Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 September 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  17. ^ "Joint Press Statement of the 4th East Asia Summit on the Revival of Nalanda University, Cha-am Hua Hin, Thailand, 25 October 2009". asean.org. 25 October 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  18. ^ "Address to the Joint Session of the Bihar Legislature, Patna: Missions for Bihar's Prosperity". abdulkalam.nic.in. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: Former President of India. National Informatics Centre. 28 March 2006. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  19. ^ "History and Revival". Nalanda University. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  20. ^ "Net Zero campus".
  21. ^ "PM Modi at Nalanda University". The Times of India.
  22. ^ https://nalandauniv.edu.in/mous/ [bare URL]
  23. ^ https://nalandauniv.edu.in/academics/shs/ [bare URL]