Nalanda is the place to send a global message

By Jagdeep Dhankhar*
Vice President of India

The reflection of our age-old ethos ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbaka’ could not have been more vibrant and will ever resonate in our ears. This [Nalanda University] is the place to send a global message. I could not have been in a better place on this day. My very brief interaction with the faculty made me fully aware that this is the centre of knowledge. Members of the faculty bring to the table not only knowledge, experience and exposure but also sublimity and elegance that are essential to acquire wisdom and they are here to give you that. A good faculty and a teacher is always a problem with the students, while they are studying but they remember them for the rest of their life.

For knowledge, for learning and for education, Nalanda is a unique brand, unrivalled brand. In this field, the world has not seen a more potent, powerful brand. Nalanda because its history, the legacy that you have, makes you stand out in the world and people will only salute. You have to take that legacy to a higher level.

An image of Nalanda ‘Mahavihara’ was found in the backdrop at the greeting area during G-20. The entire world saw it. The Hon’ble President of India, a tribal woman, a virtuous woman, highly eminent, has seen life and very difficult days. I had the occasion to be the Governor with her. She knows the ground reality, she was present there and the backdrop was Nalanda…In that backdrop of Nalanda, the leaders were received and greeted which speaks volumes of your [Nalanda] brand, acceptability of your brand, non-controversial, non-confrontational, collaborative, cooperative, consensual and that is conducive to growth.

The G-20 had several important features. There is no better place than yours [Nalanda University] to appreciate it. The G-20 to begin with had the European Union as its member. The countries of the European Union had colonized other nations, you know it but they are in G20. However, the countries that were colonized that constitute the African Union were not there. Bharat very thoughtfully, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi could get a 21st member of G-20, ‘the African Union’. A great achievement for liberty, for human rights, for world unity and global peace and harmony. Look at the second achievement, India Middle-East Europe Economic Corridor that will shape your future and will make available to you opportunities you may not have ever thought of. This was in existence around the time when Nalanda was in existence earlier. It has disappeared, a revival is taking place and the impact of the revival would be by the time Bharat reaches 2047, the centenary celebration of Independence, it would have regained its economic prowess and its power as Vishwa-Guru.

Quality education is a divine gift but if that quality education is in a place like Nalanda, then it is much beyond a divine gift… When I saw the architecture of this university, it is as unique as its brand. It has several modern aspects and will inspire and motivate many.

I see here the reincarnation of Nalanda that will give us a global foothold to disseminate knowledge, receive faculty members, receive students share with them thoughts and ideas and strive for a world that is a habitat for one, exclusive to none, with hegemony of none and that is what Bharat stands for.

The Hon’ble Vice Chancellor had indicated that the campus is designed to be a net zero energy, need zero-emission and net zero water and net zero waste campus; the first of its kind in India. Now we have to use the expression first of its kind in the world and that is where India is heading now.

It is because of Nalanda which is an important part of our history, legacy, and civilization that we come to know that travellers came from China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Turkey, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Look at the kind of congenial atmosphere here, look at the kind of library it had, and look at the kind of knowledge-friendly atmosphere which was present here.

The world thrives when there is a cradle of knowledge and wisdom, the world thrives on good virtues, sublimity, tolerance, listening to the other points of view, not questioning the other point of view. That being so, education is fundamental. This can emerge only from education. Education has no substitute, education alone leads to wisdom, tolerance and respect for other humankind. Education enlarges your horizon so that you don’t think in terms of a village or a state or a nation and you think globally, you care for global situations.

Be inquisitive, and never stop learning, even if you leave Nalanda, you take it from me your learning begins then also. As human beings enjoined with the task to contribute to the society at large, at the global level, you can never stop learning. Always have respect for others’ points of view, don’t be judgemental about it. Sometimes my experience is the other’s point of view is the correct point of view. We are doing justice to intellect, to humanity and to growth when we shut our minds to other’s points of view.

*Excerpts from his address at Nalanda University today