MFA Press Statement: Visit by Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo to India, 19 - 21 February 2009

Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo will visit India from 19 to 21 February 2009 to participate in the fifth and final Nalanda Mentor Group (please see Annex for a complete list of members of the Group) Meeting in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India. He will be accompanied by Professor Wang Gungwu, Chairman of East Asia Institute and Alternate Member of the Nalanda Mentor Group, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and representatives from the Singapore Buddhist Federation and Singapore Buddhist Lodge.

Chaired by Nobel Laureate Professor Amartya Sen (Economics Department, Harvard University), the Nalanda Mentor Group aims to conceptualise the revival of the proposed Nalanda University in Bihar, India. The ancient Nalanda University, established in about 5th century AD or earlier, was pre-eminent for over seven centuries, with about 10,000 international students and 1,500 teachers at its prime. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced at the East Asia Summit in Cebu in January 2007 that India intended to redevelop Nalanda University as a centre for learning and inter-faith dialogue, and that India welcomed cooperation from member countries of the East Asia Summit. Singapore hosted the inaugural meeting of the Nalanda Mentor Group in July 2007 and three further meetings were held in Tokyo, New York and New Delhi. To help raise public awareness of the project, an exhibition "On the Nalanda Trail: Buddhism in India, China and Southeast Asia" was held by the Asian Civilisation Museum in Singapore from November 2007 to March 2008. The Institute of Southeast Asian Studies has also organised an international conference on "Buddhism Across Asia: Networks of Material, Intellectual and Cultural Exchange" in Singapore from 16 to 18 February 2009. Professor Amartya Sen gave a special keynote address on Nalanda at this conference earlier today. He departs Singapore for Bihar to attend the Nalanda Mentor Group meeting tomorrow.

The 5th Nalanda Mentor Group Meeting in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, seeks to complete the discussion on the establishment of the Nalanda University. After the meeting in Bodh Gaya is concluded, India is expected to present its proposal to the East Asia Summit (EAS) for endorsement at the next meeting in Thailand.

Professor Amartya Sen, Minister Yeo and other members of the Nalanda Mentor Group will also visit the site of the new Nalanda University in Bihar and meet Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar to discuss the establishment of the new University.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
18 FEBRUARY 2009