Patna, Sept. 9: Nalanda University chancellor George Yeo today visited the varsity in Rajgir and said a new school for Buddhist Studies, Comparative Religions and Philosophy would be established next year.
This was Yeo's maiden visit to the Rajgir campus, around 110km south of Patna, after becoming the chancellor.
The chancellor, while addressing students, faculty members and officials at the Rajgir International Convention Centre (RICC) audio-visual hall, gave "full marks" to vice-chancellor Gopa Sabharwal on her ways of running the varsity.
Yeo said: "Gopa Sabharwal is doing an excellent job as the CEO. I have secured the governing board agreement to have her reappointed after her term ends in November."
The chancellor added that since there are procedural formalities in reappointment of the vice-chancellor, the NU administration would do that in the next board meeting probably in December.
The chancellor added that there would be no break between her tenures because the statutes allow Sabharwal to continue until her reappointment is formalised by the visitor. The chancellor in his address also stated that it was unfortunate that Delhi University was unable to extend the deputation of Anjana Sharma, the academic dean.
Sharma was deeply involved in establishing the university.
Yeo said: "I hope that we can find a way to get her back in some role at a future date, sooner rather than later. I am working with the vice-chancellor on this."
Sharma's tenure ended in August.
Glad with the students' intake going up compared to the previous year, the chancellor exhorted that the university is going for a steady ramp up to students' intake in the coming years so that, by the time the first phase of the new campus is ready in three to four years, there would be "close to 1,000 students if not more".
The chancellor's statement assumes importance as the varsity has recently started the construction process by floating tenders for the phase-one construction of the new campus. At present, the varsity is running from a makeshift campus on the premises of a healthcare and research unit near Rajgir bus stand. It embarked on its new journey on September 1, 2014, around 800 years after the ancient seat of learning was destroyed.
Yeo said it is an honour for him to take over from Nobel laureate Amartya Sen. "I can't fill his (Amartya) shoes. Happily, he has promised me to continue his involvement with the development of the university."
He added that Sen would remain on the governing board and would help him to engage members of the international advisory board.
Yeo's visit to Rajgir was short because he had to rush back to Singapore to vote for the general elections on September 11. In his first meeting, he had parleys with students and the faculty. The chancellor promised to improve the living conditions of students, faculty members and officials.
