Melbourne Global Centre hosts special session on Abhay K.'s 'Nalanda'
Dec 12, 2025
New Delhi [India], December 12 : Melbourne Global Centre - Delhi hosted a special session on writer-diplomat Abhay K.'s book Nalanda: How it Changed the World.
The discussion revisited Nalanda Mahavihara's role as a global centre of knowledge.
Abhay K. highlighted its wide academic range from astronomy and mathematics to medicine, philosophy, and poetry and noted how its interdisciplinary learning, diverse faculty, and merit-based scholarships provide a model for modern education.
During the event, Poet and Diplomat ABHAY K.,said, "I think we highlighted during the conversation the contributions of Nalanda, along with its origin and its decline. It's very important for us to understand the full narrative, the complete picture of Nalanda rather than knowing it only in bits and pieces. That is precisely why I wrote this book. This conversation at the Melbourne Global Centre celebrates the true spirit of Nalanda, which was international and universal in its outlook. Today, we have come together from Australia and India to discuss the world's first university-Nalanda".
Students and officials from Australia India Institute joined the discussion.
Lisa Singh, CEO, Australia India Institute-Delhi said "Today has been a very important day for our institute, and a special day for me personally, to be in conversation with such an esteemed author as Abhay K who is, of course, also a poet. Reading this book and witnessing the confluence of his narrative style with poetry has truly enlightened me".
Abhay K. also highlighted the contemporary revival of Nalanda University, whose new Rajgir campus was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024.
He traced the spread of Buddhist thought from Nalanda to regions such as China and Mongolia, underscoring its strategic location and far-reaching influence.
The event reaffirmed Nalanda's legacy as a global centre of learning and its enduring impact on modern education and thought.