Rajgir/Patna: The Nalanda University is set to host its second convocation ceremony on Tuesday, with President Droupadi Murmu attending as the chief guest, underscoring the institution’s growing prominence on the global academic stage.
With preparations in their final stages, the university campus is ready to welcome 617 graduating students representing 31 countries, alongside dignitaries and academic leaders from India and abroad.
At the centre of the ceremony are the students, whose academic journeys reflect Nalanda’s emphasis on interdisciplinary learning and international collaboration.
Saurabh Kumar Sinha, a graduate of the MBA programme in Sustainable Development and Management (2022–24), said his time at Nalanda played a key role in shaping his career. Now working as a geoscientist with Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, he is involved in India’s first geothermal well drilling project.
Another graduate, Snigdha, who studied at the School of Ecology and Environment Studies, is currently pursuing a PhD in environmental toxicology in Japan. She described the opportunity to be honoured at the convocation by the President as a “unique achievement” and a meaningful return to her alma mater.
Seerat, a graduate from the School of Management Studies and originally from Kashmir, echoed similar sentiments, calling her association with Nalanda a source of “immense pride” as she prepares to return for the ceremony.
Adding to the significance of the event, the newly built Visvamitralaya Auditorium will be inaugurated during the President’s visit. In collaboration with the Bihar Museum, the university will also present a curated exhibition of Buddhist heritage artefacts, highlighting the region’s rich civilisational history and Nalanda’s historic role as a global centre of learning.
The convocation marks another milestone in the revival of Nalanda, once among the world’s foremost centres of knowledge, as it continues to re-establish itself as a hub of academic excellence and cultural exchange.
