Korea too is enlisted among the supporters for the New Nalanda University is to be Built in India, near Nalanda site
Ancient Nalanda University in India - Wikimedia Images
The ruins of of the great university of Nalanda still stand and have been registered for World Heritage site listing, but this famed seat of learning may soon be resurrected. The passing of the Nalanda University Bill by the Indian Parliament in August 2010 heralds a new cycle in Indian education and, if all proposals are met, perhaps there will soon be a new Asian university which will rival the status of Oxford, Cambridge or Harvard. Nalanda is located approximately 55 miles away from Patna in Bihar State, India.
New Nalanda University to be Built in India
Plans are in hand to build a new Nalanda University on 500 acres (200 hectares) of land very close to the ruins of the ancient University. There are only 350 universities in the rapidly-developing country of India, yet the population is now approaching 1.2 billion people.
The plan to resurrect Nalanda is one way that Asia hopes to halt the trend for Asian students to pursue further studies in England, Australia or America. Further, the development of Nalanda is planned as a centre of excellence for learning and it is hoped that students will be attracted from across Asia. Certainly harnessing the history of ancient India, and the reputation of Nalanda, for establishing new centres of educational excellence is likely to raise renewed interest in the area from across the globe. The new University should also raise the profile of impoverished Bihar State too. It is to be hoped that this new Nalanda University will be able to achieve just some of the renown of the ancient Nalanda.
Ancient Nalanda University, a Renowned Centre of Learning
Nalanda was a renowned Buddhist monastery and university from the 5th century onwards. Historians can definitely date Nalanda University back to the 5th century, but earlier records state that the monastery may have existed from around 150AD. Nalanda was patronised by many Emperors and Kings and was visited by a number of well known Asian scholars. The university and monastery were destroyed by Muslim invaders in 1193. It is recorded that thousands of monks were burnt alive or beheaded and that the vast libraries took up to three months to burn.
To have studied at Nalanda was classed as very prestigious, although no formal qualifications or degrees were issued and there was no time limit to lengths of study. The monks measured time by means of a water clock and there were strict divisions between time for study and time for religious practices. Entry to the university was granted by learned gatekeepers who would conduct oral examinations with the hopeful students. Many potential students were turned away from the gates of Nalanda.
During the most successful period of the university, there were 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers based on the Nalanda site. Students flocked to Nalanda from as far afield as China, Greece, Tibet, Indonesia, Japan, Turkey and Persia. The students and scholars explored all known fields of learning from science and astronomy to scriptures and foreign philosophy. The library buildings were up to nine-storeys high and were the largest repository of Buddhist knowledge in the world.
Some of the supporters already enlisted for the construction of the new Nalanda University come from India, Singapore, Japan, Korea and China. It really does seem that this may herald a new light for education in Asia and one more sign of the burgeoning wealth and influence of the region.
Source:
suite101.com
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