Singapore: Nalanda Grp to revive ancient univ

Singapore, July 13: The Nalanda Mentor Group begins its inaugural meeting here today to revive the Nalanda University in Bihar.

Established by the Government of India, the Group is chaired by Nobel laureate Professor Amartya Sen and Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo is one of its members.

Other members include UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Ikuo Hirayama, Peking University Professor Wang Bangwei, Harvard University Professor Sugata Bose, Professor Emeritus London School of Economics, Lord Meghnad Desai, Deputy Chairman of Bihar Planning Commission, N K Singh, City University of New York Professor Tansen Sen and Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, Neelakantan Ravi.

Alternate members are Professor Wang Gungwu, Chairman East Asian Institute, Singapore and Susumu Nakanishi, Director Nara Prefecture Complex of Man'yo Culture, Japan.

During the three-day meeting, the Nalanda Mentor Group will discuss the framework of international cooperation, governance structure and funding for Nalanda University.

The Group will visit the Asian Civilisations Museum, which will host the Nalanda Exhibition on 'Buddhism in Asia' in cooperation with the East Asia Summit in November.

Minister George Yeo will host the opening lunch and closing dinner, said the Singapore Foreign Affairs Ministry in a statement last night.

The revival of the ancient Nalanda University was raised by President A P J Abdul Kalam during his state visit to Singapore in January-February last year.

Following Dr Kalam's visit, Singapore hosted the Nalanda Symposium in November last year. Later, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced at the East Asia Summit in Cebu in January this year that India intended to redevelop Nalanda University as a centre of learning and inter-faith dialogue, and that India welcomed cooperation from member countries of the East Asia Summit.

UNI