Nalanda 20

BUILDING A WORLD-CLASS MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH UNIVERSITY IN INDIA: WITH 1.4 BILLION PEOPLE IN INDIA, WHICH IS CLOSE TO 1/6TH OF WORLD'S POPULATION, NALANDA 2.0'S CURRENT MISSION OF MAKING INDIA'S HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM WORLD CLASS IS A WIN-WIN FOR INDIA AND ITS PEOPLE AND THE GLOBAL HUMANITY. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND AUTOMATION ARE EXPECTED TO DISRUPT INDUSTRIES, JOBS, AND LABOR MARKET AROUND THE WORLD. THUS, MORE THAN EVER BEFORE, HIGHER EDUCATION IS GOING TO PROVIDE A CRITICAL FOUNDATION FOR FULFILLING LIVES, CAREERS, AND LIFELONG LEARNING. INDIA IS ALSO FACING SEVERAL MEGA CHALLENGES SUCH AS FOOD, WATER, HEALTH, POVERTY, ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, AND CLIMATE CHANGE, WHICH NEED SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS NOW. UNFORTUNATELY, INDIA'S HIGHER EDUCATION IS IN CRISIS. IN A POST-COVID-19 WORLD, NALANDA 2.0'S MISSION IS MORE IMPORTANT AND URGENT THAN EVER BEFORE. IN EARLY 2018, NALANDA 2.0 ASSEMBLED AN EXCEPTIONAL GROUP OF OVER 20 LEADERS IN ACADEMIA, BUSINESS, AND START-UPS TO BUILD A WORLD-CLASS MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH UNIVERSITY IN INDIA. THE TEAM NOW INCLUDES OVER 60 LEADERS AND PROFESSIONALS, WHO ARE ALUMNI OF AND AFFILIATED WITH 11 OF THE TOP 25 RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES IN THE WORLD AND BRING OVER 600 YEARS OF FULL-TIME EXPERIENCE IN TOP HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. THEY ARE BASED IN INDIA, AUSTRALIA, SINGAPORE, UAE, AND THE US, AND BRING WISDOM, EXPERIENCES, AND ACCESS TO A VAST NETWORK OF ADDITIONAL EXPERTS TO BUILD THE UNIVERSITY. INITIALLY CODE NAMED THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FUTURE (UFI), IN 2020, WE NAMED IT EKAGRID. AFTER CLOSE TO THREE YEARS OF DEDICATED EFFORTS, PLANNING, AND ENGAGING WITH STAKEHOLDERS, WE ARE NOW POISED TO LAUNCH EKAGRID IN 2022-2023. WE HAVE: BUILT AN EXCEPTIONAL FOUNDING TEAM CONSISTING OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS, CHANCELLOR, COO AND CDO, GLOBAL ADVISORY BOARD, CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE, AND VOLUNTEERS, DEVELOPED AN ACTIONABLE PLAN, ESTABLISHED A SECTION 8 COMPANY, SELECTED A LEGAL COUNSEL, EXTERNAL AUDITOR, AND ACCOUNTING FIRM THAT ARE ASSISTING WITH ALL LEGAL AND COMPLIANCE RELATED MATTERS, DEEPLY ENGAGED WITH SEVERAL STATE GOVERNMENTS IN INDIA FOR LAND AND REGULATORY APPROVALS, ESTABLISHED A GROWING NETWORK OF PROFESSORS AND RESEARCHERS WHO ARE READY TO PARTNER OR JOIN THE UNIVERSITY. FROM APRIL 2021 TO MARCH 2022, MADE STEADY PROGRESS DESPITE THE HEADWINDS CAUSED BY COVID-19 VARIANTS SUCH AS DELTA, THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICT, AND RELATED ECONOMIC TURBULENCE AND FRICTION IN TRAVEL. SIGNED TWO MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDINGS (MOU) WITH THE KARNATAKA GOVERNMENT - ONE FOR ACQUIRING 200 ACRES OF LAND IN BENGALURU, AND SECOND FOR PASSING THE EKAGRID PRIVATE UNIVERSITY ACT. ALSO SECURED A MOU WITH A PREMIER RESEARCH UNITY FOR COLLABORATING ON RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS. KEY DISCUSSIONS ARE UNDERWAY FOR RAISING FUNDS TO LAUNCH EKAGRID. THE EXPECTATION IS THAT ONCE ONE ANCHOR DONOR MAKES A FORMAL COMMITMENT, THEN ADDITIONAL DONORS WILL FOLLOW. DURING THIS PERIOD MANY DONORS SHOWED INTEREST BUT HAVE NOT MADE A COMMITMENT. MAKING THE FINAL PUSH TO SECURE THE LEAD ANCHOR DONOR.