About Nalanda University History

I want to know about the history of the Nalanda University . In which year Nalanda University was founded? Who has established the Nalanda University ? Provide the recognition and the affiliation status of Nalanda University .

Can you tell me some history about the Nalanda University or Nalanda International University? Also provide me the contact address of Nalanda University?

[Neelu Bhasin]

Nalanda University (also known as Nalanda International University) is an international and research-intensive university which was established by an Act of Parliament to emulate the famous Nalanda of ancient India.

The original university, widely considered to be the greatest and most glorious of all ancient monasteries and the world's first residential institution, functioned for over 800 years, starting from around 400 AD. Nalanda University at its peak housed 10,000 students from all across Asia.

The profound knowledge of Nalanda’s teachers attracted scholars from places as distant as China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, and South East Asia. These scholars have left records about the setting, architecture, and learning at this university.

Some famous personalities associated with the original university include Lord Buddha, who had preached in Rajgir centuries earlier, the great Indian mathematician Aryabhata, the celebrated Indian Emperor Harshavardhana, and the Buddhist master Atiśa.

As the hallmarks of the ancient Nalanda were its diversity, a knowledge ecosystem thriving on shared creation of new knowledge and an international outlook, these remain as the essence of the new Nalanda University as well. Thus, leaders of sixteen member states of the East Asia Summit (EAS) endorsed the proposal to re- establish Nalanda, when they met in the Philippines in January 2007.

The new version of the university began its first academic session on September 1, 2014. Its founding faculty consisted of professors from some of the top universities across the globe. It has been designated as an "International Institute of National Importance" by the Parliament of India.


Nalanda University Governance

1. Members of the Governing Board
Prof. Vijay Bhatkar, Chancellor, NU (Chair)
Prof. Sunaina Singh, Vice Chancellor, NU
Representatives from Member Countries:
Representative from India (Shri N.K. Singh)
Representative from China (Prof. Wang Bangwei)
Representative from Australia (Shri Peter Varghese)
Representative from Lao PDR (H.E. Bounneme Chouanghom)
Representative from Thailand (Prof. Prapod A)
Ms. Vijay Thakur Singh, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India
Representatives from Govt. of Bihar
Shri Anjani Kumar Singh, Advisor to the Govt. of Bihar
Shri Chanchal Kumar, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Govt. of Bihar
Shri R. Subrahmanyam, Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India
Three persons in the category of “Renowned Academician or Educationist”
Prof. Arvind Sharma, Birks Professor of Comparative Religion, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Prof. Lokesh Chandra, Former President, Indian Council for Cultural Relations(ICCR)
Dr. Arvind Panagariya, Former Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog


2. Members of the Executive Committee
Prof. Vijay Bhatkar, Chancellor, NU (Chair)
Prof. Sunaina Singh, Vice Chancellor, NU
Ms. Vijay Thakur Singh, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India
Shri Chanchal Kumar, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Govt. of Bihar
Shri. N.K.Singh, Economist and Policy Adviser
Shri R. Subrahmanyam, Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India.


3. Members of the Finance Committee
Prof. Sunaina Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Nalanda University (Chair)
Chancellor’s Nominee
Shri Gautam Guha, IAS (Retired)
Shri R. Thyagarajan, Head, Admin & Finance, CEMCA (Retd.)
Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India. / His Nominee
Joint Secretary (BIMSTEC & SAARC)/Nalanda, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India
Dean of the Schools of Study by Rotation
Prof. Sukhbir Singh, Dean, School Of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions, NU
Shri Ashok Kumar Chauhan, Finance Officer, Nalanda University (Member Secretary)


4. Members of the Academic Council
Prof. Sunaina Singh, Vice Chancellor, Nalanda University (Chair)
Prof. Makarand Paranjape, Director, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, Expert Member
Prof. Vasant Shivram Shinde, Vice-Chancellor and Professor in South Asian Archaeology, Deccan College, Pune, Expert Member
Prof. Madhu Khanna, Professor of Indic Religion and Tagore National Fellow, National Museum, New Delhi, Expert Member
Prof. S.R. Bhatt, Former Chairman, Indian Council of Philosophical Research, New Delhi, Expert Member
Dr. Meenakshi Jain, Senior Fellow Indian Council of Social Science Research New Delhi, Expert Member
Prof. D. Venkat Rao, Professor, Department of English Literature, The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, Expert Member
Prof. S.P.Singh, Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Delhi, Expert Member
Prof. Pankaj Mohan, Dean, School of Historical Studies and Dean (I/C), School of Languages and
Literature/Humanities
Prof. Sukhbir Singh, Dean, School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions
Prof. Sarnam Singh, Dean, School of Ecology and Environment Studies
Prof. Anand Singh, Professor, School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions
Dr. Nihar Kanta Patra, Librarian, Nalanda University
Dr. Shyam Phartyal, Associate Professor, School of Ecology and Environment Studies
Dr. Mayank Shekhar, Assistant Professor, School of Historical Studies
Shri Sanjay Bhatnagar, Registrar, Nalanda University (Secretary)


5. Members of the Building and Works Committee
Prof. Sunaina Singh, Vice Chancellor, NU (Chair)
Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India
Joint Secretary (BIMSTEC & SAARC)/Nalanda, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India
Shri Girish Nandan Singh, Retd. Engineer-in-Chief, Building Construction Department, Govt. of Bihar
Dr. Ashok Kumar Tiwari, Director, CTI, MPPKVVCL, Jabalpur
Prof. Sukhbir Singh, Dean, School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions, NU
Shri Ashok Kumar Chauhan, Finance Officer, Nalanda University
Shri Sanjay Bhatnagar, Registrar, NU (Member Secretary)


Contact Detail:
Nalanda University
Rajgir, Nalanda District
PIN – 803 116 Bihar
vcnalanda@gmail.com, vcoffice@nalandauniv.edu.in
+91-6112-255330
Fax – +91-6112-255766