Nalanda University reopens after 800 years: Here's all you need to know

The Nalanda University (NU), that attracted students from world over in ancient times, has been reopened after 800 years. Under the leadership of Dr Amartya Sen, the new version of the university was opened on Monday. The Union government spent a whopping Rs 2,700 crore to build the university. And according to the University website it will strive to “match the excellence of Nalanda of the first millennium CE for the third millennium CE”. Here’s all you need to know: [caption id=“attachment_1691501” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  An undated picture of the ruins of the Nalanda University. AFP[/caption] * The NU came into existence by the Nalanda University Act passed by Parliament. Economist Amartya Sen is the Chairman of the governing body of the university, while renowned teachers from various countries are its members. * Former Singapore foreign minister George Yeo and Ministry of External Affairs Secretary Anil Wadhwa are also part of the governing body. * The NU campus will be spread over 455 acres and its construction is underway around 12 km from the site of the ancient university. The original university was built began during the Gupta period in 6th century AD and came to an end after being ransacked, looted and burnt in 1193 AD by the invading Turk army led by its commander Bakhtiyar Khilji, reported PTI. * The architectural plan of the NU has been approved and the extensive campus will also have a huge lake, and the proposed library will come up in the middle of it. * Singapore, the prime foreign mover for the university has pledged around $5 million, while Thailand’s Ambassador to India donated $ 1,00,000. Australia would provide 1 million Australian dollars for a chair at the School of Ecology and Environment studies for three years. China contributed one million dollars in 2011, which will be used to establish a library at the campus. * According the the  university website it  will initially establish seven Schools of learning: Historical Studies; Ecology and Environment Studies; Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions; Linguistics and Literature; International Relations and Peace Studies; Information Science and Technology, and Economics and Management. * The schools shall offer Master’s, M Phil and Ph D degrees. * A ccording to its website, NU “will be international in its structure and at least 5 seats on the Board will be held by Member states of the EAS. The University will have an international campus and is hoping to attract students and faculty from around the world and will bring global excellence into India. There are also various international affiliations that the University will have. " * Former President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, while addressing the Bihar State Legislative Assembly, in March 2006 had mooted the idea of reviving the university. In his speech he had envisaged it as a university that would revive the glory of the ancient seat of learning. * The state government of Bihar had quickly adopted the idea and consulted had the government of India on the way ahead. It also began its search for a suitable location for the new university. It identified and acquired land in Rajgir, Bihar. * According to the university website, it will offer fellowships designed to encourage excellence in multi-disciplinary research in specific fields and mainly relate to inter-Asian connections while also engaging with various aspects of building a unique University. The program will initially concentrate on fellowships in the two inaugural Schools of Historical Studies and Environment and Ecology Studies. * A new logo was designed for the university and according to the NU website it is a “rebus” or visual pun. On the one hand, it depicts a tree, which is significant as a symbol of nature, significant because of the Bodhi tree’s importance to the story of Nalanda and on the other it depicts the people who have come together to form the university.