Nalanda University vice-chancellor Gopa Sabharwal and Amartya Sen in Patna on Wednesday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, July 18: Nalanda University vice-chancellor (VC) Gopa Sabharwal today said recruitment of faculty for the institute would top the agenda of the varsity governing body meeting beginning tomorrow.

The last time that the governing body had held a meeting was in October 2011 in China. Tomorrow’s meeting will be held at hotel Maurya in the state capital.

“The meeting assumes importance because it would discuss issues related to recruitment of faculty for the university,” Sabharwal told The Telegraph, adding that the faculty would be “acclaimed” and “renowned”.

The VC said the board would also discuss the modalities of raising funds.

“The university has received funds from China and Thailand. The Chinese government has provided $1 million, while the Thai government has provided $100,000. The university authorities will approach countries associated with the project to expedite its completion,” she added.

Ten board members, barring National University of Singapore professor Wang Gungwu and Prapod Assavavirulhakarn, a professor of Bangkok-based Chulalongkorn University, will be in Patna for the board meeting.

The governing body of Nalanda University is headed by Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen. Its other members are former George Yeo, a former foreign minister of Singapore, Rajya Sabha member N.K. Singh, professor Wang Bangwei, Beijing University, professor Susumu Nakanishi Emeritus, Kyoto City University of Arts, professor Sugata Bose, Harvard University, professor Tansen Sen, City University of New York, professor Lord Meghnad Desai, London School of Economics, Sanjay Singh, the secretary (East) of the ministry of external affairs and Sabharwal.

The VC said construction work for the university would start from 2013 and the classes for its two schools — School of Historical Studies and Environmental and Ecological Studies — would begin in 2014. She added that the two schools would be different from other universities in terms of courses.

Both the schools will be interdisciplinary in nature. While other universities teach the subjects in BA or engineering modules or policies, Nalanda University will follow a composite pattern of study. The focus will be on research-and-problem oriented because the subjects are related with water resources, agricultural productivity, earthquake and others.

Similarly, the courses will be designed in a way that they would have a flavour of flora and fauna of the ancient site. “This would help the students, after graduating from these schools, can spread the message about the flora and fauna of the ancient site of Nalanda,” the VC said.