The World's First Global University

Nalanda was not a monastery hidden in isolation. It was one of the most ambitious educational

institutions the ancient world ever built. Founded in the 5th century CE in present-day

Bihar, Nalanda functioned as a fully residential university, centuries before

similar institutions appeared in Europe. Students did not come only from the Indian subcontinent.

Records describe scholars arriving from China, Korea, Tibet,

Central Asia, and Southeast Asia, traveling thousands of kilometers to study here.

Nalanda was supported by royal patronage, and governed by strict academic standards.

Admission was competitive, instruction was rigorous, and debate was central to learning.