Nobel laureate Amartya Sen yesterday arrived at Patna to attend a meeting of the board of governors of the upcoming Nalanda International University in the state.
Amartya Sen heads the Nalanda Mentor Group (NMG), The meeting is set for Thursday, a Bihar education department said. The university is coming up in Nalanda, about 100 km from here.
The board members are Singapore’s former foreign minister George Yeo, Wang Gungwu of National University, Singapore, Susumu Nakanishi of the Kyoto City University Arts, Japan, Wang Bangwe of Beijing University, China, Sugata Bose of Harvard University, Prapod Assavavirulhakarn of Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, Tansen Sen of the City University of New York, Lord Meghnad Desai and JD (U) MP N K Singh. Gopa Sabharwal is the vice-chancellor of the Nalanda Intenational University and Sanjay Singh, secretary (east) in the ministry of external affairs, is the member-secretary of the board.
The board of governors’ meeting will largely discuss the issue of infrastructure related to the university, including road and air connectivity, and linking of 300 villages with the university. The university will come up on 467 acres of land in Rajgir, which has been given by the Bihar government. The work on construction of its boundary wall is nearing completion.
The meeting will be followed by a seminar to be attended by scholars from Southeast Asia.
The university will be fully residential, like the ancient Nalanda university. It will offer courses in science, philosophy and spiritualism along with social sciences.