The Melbourne Global Centre – Delhi hosted a special session with writer-diplomat Abhay K. on his book Nalanda: How It Changed the World. The discussion revisited Nalanda Mahavihara’s role as an international centre of learning, emphasizing its wide-ranging curriculum—from astronomy and mathematics to medicine, philosophy and poetry.
Abhay K. highlighted how Nalanda’s interdisciplinary approach, diverse faculty and merit-based scholarships made it a model for modern education. He said the aim of his book and the conversation was to present the full narrative of Nalanda—its origins, its contributions and its decline—rather than piecemeal impressions. The event, he added, celebrated Nalanda’s universal and international outlook and brought together participants from Australia and India to reflect on what is often called the world’s first university.
Students and officials from the Australia India Institute joined the discussion. Lisa Singh, CEO of the Australia India Institute—Delhi, described the session as both important for the institute and personally meaningful; she praised Abhay K.’s blend of narrative and poetry and said the book had been enlightening.
Abhay K. also spoke about the contemporary revival of Nalanda University, noting the inauguration of its Rajgir campus by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024, and traced how Buddhist ideas spread from Nalanda to regions such as China and Mongolia, underscoring its historical reach.
The session reaffirmed Nalanda’s legacy as a global centre of learning and its enduring influence on education and thought. (ANI) This item is from a syndicated feed and published as received.
