First Convocation of Nalanda University to be Held On August 27, 2016

Nalanda University is one of the oldest educational institutions in India and is a globally recognized name. The university started full-fledged functioning in September 2014 and will be organizing its first convocation in 800 years on August 27, 2016.

Amongst the guests attending the convocation on August 27, will be President Pranab Mukherjee. Postgraduate degrees will be conferred to five students who graduated from the School of Historical Studies and eight students who passed from the School of Ecology and Environment Studies.

Also Read:Nalanda Mahavihara Among 4 Sites Added on UNESCO’s World Heritage List

The university was initially established in the 5th century and was recognized as a learning center for Buddhist monks neighboring which was the monastery. Nalanda is also a world heritage site as it was established before the Al-Azhar University in Egypt, Italy’s University of Bologna and Oxford University in the United Kingdom, hence being one of the oldest universities in the world.

Nalanda was a flourished university that was an attraction point for scholars who use to travel from far off countries such as Tibet, China, Korea, and Central Asia for enlightenment. Nalanda was shut down in the 12th century as the university was plundered and burnt during an invasion by a Turkish Army.

The university was later resurrected in 2010 and begin term from 2014 when the first batch was enrolled. The university now plans to reach the same status it had in ancient times and move closer to its roots of Buddhism. The university’s School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions will start its first batch next month that will comprise of 40 to 50 students.