China Efforts to Reviving Buddha Nalanda University

The Times of India ran a news item, on Nov 16th, about China giving a cheque of $ 1 million in the efforts to revive the Nalanda University. This marked the first donation for the ambitious project to rebuild a university in place of the one that was destroyed several centuries ago. Founded in the fifth century, Nalanda was a renowned centre of learning when Europe was still in its dark ages, drawing scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey. Over 2000 professors instructed around 10,000 students in religious studies, medicine, mathematics, astronomy and politics. It was burnt to the ground by Bakhtiyar Khilji''''''''s troops invading the nation in the 12th century.

Dubbing it as the “Icon of Asian Renaissance”, the Economic Times mentions that its revival would come as India and China lay claim to being the economic superpowers of the future. The revival is taking place under an international initiative by the East Asia Summit, a bloc of which India is a member, with the Ministry of External Affairs being actively involved in the ambitious project. Interestingly, in 2006 a New York Time’s article, referring to this Summit, wrote” It is a topic unlikely to receive much mention in the Western press”. Some more has changed in the economic strength of the countries in the East Asia block, since then.

Truly, the rebuilt Nalanda University can revive Asia region’s underlying cultural heritage, establish stronger peaceful links among peoples and cultures from the past, and take Asia’s soft power of influence and attraction to a new level. The West has claimed a long tradition of its ancient Greek and Roman roots. This project, can give Asia a springboard to develop a claim to an earlier tradition based on global tolerance and coexistence of different thought streams. While focusing on Buddhist studies the university emphasized a thorough understanding of the six earlier darshana schools of thought - the angles to view knowledge from.

In a speech to the Asia Society in September this year, Noble Peace Winning Amartya Sen who is heading the Nalanda University project spoke eloquently about the ethos of the original University. These, when cultivated in a revived University can uniquely differentiate it from any other global institution today — a) an institution devoted to religious reconciliation b) Health care system that considers affordability and c) Balancing economic prosperity with environmental consequences of growth. Will the project succeed in its aim to parallel the success of its previous incarnation? Let us look at the challenges in the next article on the subject.
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7 Wonders of India: Nalanda Internationa University !!

President to look into complaint against Nalanda University VC :Kalam

President Pratibha Patil in her capacity as the Visitor of the Nalanda International University would look into any complaint about competence of its Vice-Chancellor Dr Gopa Sabharwal, former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam said today. "The Visitor will look into any complaint against Sabharwal," Kalam, who recently dissociated himself from the Nalanda university project as its Visitor, said in reply to a question by ruling JD(U) MLA Irshad Ahmed during an interactive session in the state assembly premises.

Irshad Ahmed alleged that Sabharwal, earlier a Reader of New Delhi's Lady Sriram College, lacked adequate experience to lead this ambitious project. Sabharwal's appointment as the VC was opposed by a group of academicians recently. "The Visitor is the competent authority to appoint vice-chancellor and other teachers for the university. I have full confidence that she will take a decision in this respect with due consideration of related subjects," Kalam said. Kalam, one of the key players behind the revival of Nalanda University, has opted out of the project apparently realising that he has no crucial role to play. He has distanced himself from the multi-nation project, citing conferment of Central University status to the institution wherein critical powers like appointment of vice chancellor would be with the incumbent President. Despite the law, the Centre and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had requested Kalam to continue as Visitor but he refused to reconsider his decision.
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Nalanda University to have IT faculty while reliving past glory

The proposed Nalanda International University, which aims to recreate the legendary 11th century institution, will adopt a forward looking approach by establishing a department of information technology, Nobel Luerrate Amartya Sen, who heads the university's governing board, said here Saturday.

"India has special skills in the field of IT. It would help in the skill development in Bihar. In fact, Nitish (Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar) has been very keen about it," he told TNN. He praised Kumar for being supportive of the university plans.

"We are also going to teach the glorious history of Bihar as part of the work in the faculty of historical studies," he said.

The Nalanda board, which met in Beijing over the past two days, decided to initially establish two faculties on historical and environmental studies and follow up the effort with more faculties on subjects like Buddhism and Comparative Religion, International Relations and IT. It also decided to go for an international competition to choose the architect for the university buildings.

Sen said the process of establishing the university has been greatly delayed by the ministry of external affairs, which failed to take timely decisions to release funds and resolves issues concerning the appointment of its vice chancellor.

"Nalanda has suffered because of complications at the MEA although there was an enabling act of parliament," he said. The university is also facing a media campaign at the local level in Bihar because some people are taking a parochial attitude towards it.

"A lot of lies have been spread about the Nalanda University," he said. Sen called on critics of the university in Bihar to eschew parochialism, and let it emerge as a world institution that would enhance the State's image as a traditional centre of learning. The university was seeking funds and educational excellence from all countries, he said.

The board has approved Gopa Sabharwal as vice chancellor designate but a formal appointment has been pending because of confusion about the role of former President Abdul Kalam, who was supposed to clear it as the First Visitor of the University.

"It was for the MEA to approach Kalam and clarify if he wanted to continue as First Visitor and it did not do that," Sen said.

None of Indian universities figured in the top 200 universities determined by a survey by the Times High Educational Supplement this month, he pointed out. The effort at Nalanda was to create a world class institution brining in the best of talent from all countries.

"We are inviting funds from all sources, wherever we can get. We can start more faculties if we can get more funds," he said. "We are particularly encouraged by the possibility that Peking University will serve as a collaborator," Sen said.
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