Forget Oxford and Cambridge, India starts classes at 1,000 year old University

India's ancient Nalanda University (NU) opened for classes for the first time in more than 800 years, at its newly established campus at Rajgir in the Bihar state.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The event marked the fruition of an idea proposed by former Indian president, APJ Abdul Kalam, at the Bihar Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council in 2006.

You can be a light in the darkness with "prayer and action."

"We will have a low-key launch with classes for the School of Ecology and Environmental Studies and the School of Historical Studies beginning at 9 AM today. Right now there are 15 students and 11 faculty members at the campus," NU Vice-Chancellor Dr. Gopa Sabharwal told the Press Trust of India.

There were two reasons for starting small according to Subharwal. She wanted students and teachers to settle down, and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj would is expected to visit on September 14.

"We have decided to have a big function when Mrs Swaraj visits NU on September 14. By that time things will settle down and the media glare will also decrease to some extent," she added.

NU completed a three-day orientation program with its students on August 31.

"More than a thousand students from various countries across the globe had applied for the seven schools on different subjects that will function at the university, of which only 15, including one each from Japan and Bhutan, were selected," said the VC.

NU first opened in the 6th century AD, and was ended after it was ransacked, looted and razed by invading Turks under Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1193 AD.

The school's new campus will be spread out over 455 acres, and construction is underway about seven and a half miles away from the site of the ancient university.

NU is striving to be have an international presence, and several countries have already signed agreements and donated funds, including China which donated $1 million for a library, and Singapore which has pledged around $5 million. Thailand and Australia have also contributed, but the Indian government has authorized nearly $45 billion over the enxt ten years.

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