Nalanda’s global legacy shows power of knowledge and dialogue, says UN India chief

New Delhi, August 27, 2026; Nalanda’s centuries-old tradition of scholarship, intellectual exchange and cross-border learning remains relevant to the modern world, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India Stefan Priesner said during a special discussion on the ancient seat of learning.

The event, organised by UNESCO and the United Nations in India, centred on diplomat and writer Abhay K.’s book Nalanda: How it Changed the World. Diplomats, academics, experts and students participated in the session, which examined Nalanda’s influence on education, culture and intellectual traditions across Asia.

Priesner described Nalanda as one of the earliest major residential centres of higher learning, noting that its origins in the fifth century predate the establishment of the University of Bologna by several centuries. He said scholars travelled to Nalanda from regions including China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and other parts of South and Southeast Asia.

According to Priesner, Nalanda represented an environment where knowledge was not confined to a single discipline or region. Philosophy, mathematics, medicine, science and the arts were studied alongside traditions of discussion, debate and intellectual exchange.

He connected Nalanda’s historical legacy with the United Nations’ emphasis on education, evidence-based development and cooperation across national and disciplinary boundaries. He also highlighted Bihar’s contribution to India’s wider cultural and intellectual history.

Reflecting on his recent visit to Patna, Priesner said museums and historical collections in the city offered a glimpse into Bihar’s long-standing contribution to civilisation. He also praised cooperation between the United Nations system and Bihar in areas including health, education, nutrition, gender equality, climate resilience and social protection.

UNESCO Head for South Asia Tim Curtis highlighted Nalanda Mahavihara’s international significance as a World Heritage Site. He said the site was recognised for its influence on institutional design, architecture and artistic traditions that later appeared in educational and monastic establishments across South and Southeast Asia.

Curtis further noted Nalanda’s importance in the evolution of monastic institutions into centres of advanced learning, particularly through its contribution to Buddhist studies, philosophy, logic, discourse and teaching traditions.

He said UNESCO’s work at the site goes beyond its World Heritage inscription and includes archaeological documentation, conservation, visitor management and protection of the surrounding buffer zone.

The session also featured Professor D Venkat Rao of Nalanda University in a conversation with Abhay K., moderated by Radhika Kaul Batra. Discussions focused on Nalanda’s academic diversity, its international community of scholars and its distinctive approach to learning.

Abhay K. spoke about Nalanda’s engagement with subjects ranging from astronomy and mathematics to medicine, philosophy and poetry. He also pointed to its interdisciplinary environment, diverse faculty and scholarship system as aspects that could offer lessons for modern education.

The discussion also examined the contemporary revival of Nalanda University. The university’s new campus at Rajgir was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024, marking an important step in reconnecting the modern institution with the legacy of the ancient centre of learning.

The speakers underlined that Nalanda’s relevance extends beyond its archaeological remains, with its traditions of open inquiry, intellectual exchange and international scholarship continuing to shape discussions about education in the modern era.