Rajgir/Patna: Nalanda University has signed two significant memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with leading institutions in Mongolia, further strengthening the long-standing civilisational, cultural and academic relationship between India and Mongolia.
The agreements were signed during a high-level academic engagement in Ulaanbaatar between June 8 and June 9.
The first MoU was signed on June 8 between Nalanda University and Gandantegchinten Monastery, popularly known as Gandan Monastery, at the historic monastery in the Mongolian capital.
The agreement was signed by Professor Sachin Chaturvedi, Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University, and Geshe Lharampa Javzandorj Dulamragchaa, Khamba Nomun Khan and Supreme Abbot of Gandan Monastery.
The ceremony was attended by Vinai Kumar Saxena, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh; Atul Malhari Gotsurve, India’s Ambassador to Mongolia; B. Tserennadmid, Governor of Arkhangai Province; senior officials from the Government of India; and monks from various monasteries in India.
Focus On Buddhist Heritage And Research
According to the university, the partnership is rooted in the shared Buddhist traditions of India and Mongolia and seeks to promote academic cooperation through joint research projects, academic exchanges, collaborative publications and conferences.
The agreement also provides for the study, preservation and dissemination of rare Buddhist manuscripts, with the aim of safeguarding intellectual traditions associated with the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara.
University officials said the collaboration would help strengthen scholarly engagement on Buddhist philosophy and heritage while promoting greater cultural understanding between the two countries.
Partnership With National University Of Mongolia
On June 9, Nalanda University signed a second MoU with the National University of Mongolia (NUM) at the university’s campus in Ulaanbaatar.
The agreement was formalised by Professor Sachin Chaturvedi and Professor Baatarchuluun Tsermaa, Vice-President for Research and Cooperation at the National University of Mongolia, in the presence of senior representatives from both institutions.
The partnership is expected to facilitate collaboration across a broad range of disciplines, including Dharma Studies, Buddhist Philosophy, Culture and Art, History, Ecology, Sanskrit and Tibetan languages, Trade and Economic History.
Expanding Academic Exchanges
The two institutions said the agreement would support faculty and student exchange programmes, joint research initiatives, collaborative academic activities and knowledge-sharing platforms.
Nalanda University described the partnerships as an important step in advancing international academic cooperation while reinforcing historical connections between India and Mongolia.
The agreements come as the university continues efforts to expand its global academic network and promote research inspired by the intellectual traditions of ancient Nalanda, one of the world’s oldest centres of learning.
