(From left) Amartya Sen, Anil Wadhwa and Gopa Sabharwal at the news meet on Sunday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

The upcoming Nalanda University has received more than 500 applications for the post of teachers and around 22 per cent of the applicants are from outside India.

At the governing board meeting of Nalanda University in Patna on Sunday chaired by varsity chancellor Amartya Sen, board members discussed various modalities to start the academic session from September this year with two courses — historical studies and ecology and environmental studies.

The students’ intake in two schools would be 20 each and once developed fully, the total number of students is expected to be 2,450 when all the seven schools start teaching by 2017-18.

Talking about the governing board meeting, Sen said: “The academic session would start from September this year. Within a couple of months, we would complete the appointment process of teachers so that when the university issues advertisement for student selection, we can demonstrate the faculty strength of the varsity.”

The two selection committees are studying the teachers’ applications and once the governing board gives its consent, offers would be made. Each school would have faculty strength of 10, which would comprise two professor-rank teachers, three associate professors and five assistant professors.

Vice-chancellor Gopa Sabharwal said: “There would be no compromise on the quality of education. The varsity’s offer (financial package) would be interesting enough for them to join.”

During the initial period, classes would be held from the convention centre. For accommodating students, two blocks of Tathagat Hotel would be booked.

Chancellor Sen also cited some hurdles for the Union government’s delay in the process in starting construction work. The amendment bill of Nalanda University is struck in a hurdle, as a section of the government is trying to treat it as a Central University but the varsity administration is optimistic that the hurdles would be sorted out soon.

Nine countries have signed the agreement to create the international university at Rajgir, which is around 110km from Patna, and many countries have provided funds for the project. Sen said: “At present, the VC is Indian but as it’s an international university, any person from the participating countries can be appointed VC in the future.”

On Monday, the university would hold the first meeting of its international advisory panel at Rajgir. The international advisory panel is headed by George Yeo, the former foreign minister of Singapore. Members, who would participate in the meeting include Hassan Wirajuda, the former foreign minister of Indonesia, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand and governing board member and British economist Lord Meghnad Desai.