The Phoenix is an apt metaphor to depict the revived Nalanda University. Like this mythical bird, the historic campus was resurrected after being burned down to ashes. According to the university’s website, historical findings revealed that ancient Nalanda had a remarkable life lasting 800 years from the fifth to the twelfth century CE.
After a gap of hundreds of years, the new avatar of Nalanda University opened its doors for the first batch of students in 2014, around 12 kilometres from the original site. The restored Nalanda University is again aiming to become an icon for a new Asian convergence, a creative space and a centre of inter-civilisational dialogue for future generations.
The university is built upon a foundational philosophy that seeks to re-establish lost connections in the Asian region. The ideal is shared among students and teachers. Surrounded by the picturesque Rajgir Hills of Bihar State, India, wisdom seekers from all over the world have come to deepen their knowledge at this monumental location.
Stretching around 450 acres, Nalanda University students come from 31 countries, including ASEAN Member States. They are recipients of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarship and the Nalanda University ASEAN Scholarship scheme. The ASEAN interviewed two of them to learn about their stories.
The ASEAN-India cultural and civilisational linkages form a solid bedrock for the connection between the ASEAN Member States and Nalanda University to flourish. The shift from the Look East Policy to the Act East Policy by the government of India, underlining the policy of connectivity, culture, and commerce, accelerates the momentum of this engagement.
The year 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-India relations, and its progression into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. India initially came on board as a Sectoral Dialogue Partner in 1992, then gained Dialogue Partner status three years later. It began participating in ASEAN Summits in 2002, became a Strategic Partner in 2012, and in 2015, it formally set up a Mission to ASEAN to deepen its engagement with ASEAN.
ASEAN and India are fast-rising hotspots for digital start-ups. This was evident in the first ASEAN-India Start-up Festival 2022, held on 27-30 October 2022 at the Innovation Convention Center in Cibinong, Indonesia.
Art is a powerful tool that brings people together and imbibes the socio-cultural practices of the time. The ASEAN-India Artists’ Camp 2022 was one such project. It recognised the power of art in fostering intercultural people-to-people exchanges to promote mutual understanding and tolerance.
ASEAN and India marked the anniversary of their partnership by holding several commemorative events throughout 2022. Some of these are high-level meetings, such as the Special Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the Delhi Dialogue on 15-17 June 2022, the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus and ASEAN-India Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting on 22-23 November 2022, and the ASEAN InterParliamentary Assembly (AIPA) Delegation’s visit to India on 10-14 August 2022.
It gives me great pleasure to write this message, representing India as ASEAN’s Comprehensive Strategic Partner. Since 1992, 30 years down the lane, the ASEAN has become the heart of the Indo-Pacific. No other region probably is as much discussed, constructively, as Indo-Pacific these days, not only from the geo-political perspectives but also from the perspective of the prime mover of the economic growth for the world.
As ASEAN commemorates 30 years of diplomatic relations with India this year, I am happy to note that our relations continue to deepen at every level. The ASEAN-India partnership has not only led to greater ASEAN regional and global engagement, but also the fostering of regional peace, stability and prosperity. This was reaffirmed at the 19th ASEAN-India Summit in November this year, which declared the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that will strengthen more multifaceted collaboration for both sides.
Women are disproportionately affected by natural disasters. This statement is as irrefutable as it is disquieting.
Months into the pandemic, Dr. Disa Edralyn understood that the risk of contracting the coronavirus is higher for medical workers in Indonesia.
The 27-year-old doctor, who is currently inactive to focus on her speciality study on anaesthesiology, was tested positive with COVID-19 in July. Earlier, her 61-year-old dentist mother was also infected by the virus.
