Friday, March 30, 2007
Letter from the Vedanta University project CEO
29th March 2007
Dear Friend,
We are pleased to share with you, as well wishers of the proposed
Vedanta University in Orissa, the developments to-date and our
objectives in the project. The Vedanta University will be
established in the state of Orissa, along the Puri-Konark highway.
We recall with pride the glorious past when Orissa had Ratnagiri
University, known around the world. With the active support,
encouragement and good wishes from all of you through your
constructive communication in the various blogs, e-mails and
internet communications, we are confident of making Orissa once
again a globally recognised center for higher learning.
Anil Agarwal Foundation, a “not for profit” institution, has been
founded by Mr. Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Resources Plc,
London, for making a significant contribution to a core requirement
of India viz. Education.
Anil Agarwal Foundation (AAF) has the vision of creating a
world-class, multidisciplinary university in India, of the quality
of Nalanda, Ratnagiri, Takshila of Ancient India and Harvard,
Stanford and Oxford of today. The new institution will be called
“Vedanta University” to truly reflect the philosophy and pride of
our Country.
The proposed Vedanta University will be an independent,
professionally managed and “Not For Profit” institution based on an
endowment from AAF as seed capital. It will be a Private University
to be set up under an Act of the Orissa State, and will operate on
efficient management principles, generate resources for fuelling
continuous growth in Research and Academics.
Vedanta University will have the following objectives:
1. Create a World standard research driven university where
academics and research will support and benefit from each other.
2. Build a Global scale university with a wide variety of subjects
and specialisations namely arts, sciences, economics, commerce,
education, public administration, communication, law, business
management, engineering, medicine and other professional fields.
3. Offer to all its graduates, irrespective of their specializations
a strong foundation in basic disciplines like liberal arts, basic
sciences, economics, communication, philosophy, behavioural
sciences, mathematics and IT.
4. Provide here and now within the shores of India knowledge based
education to India’s youth, to prepare them as scholars, scientists
and leaders for taking India forward.
5. Provide academic facilities, IT network / library, laboratory and
research facilities, residential and recreation infrastructure which
will make Vedanta University totally self contained like the best
universities in the world.
6. Offer bachelors, masters and research degrees in various
disciplines and offer a unique combination of intensive
specialization as well as extensive cross disciplinary study.
7. Build an organization with most competent faculty for teaching
and research and highly professional non-academic management team.
Vedanta University will promote greater learning and would place
India on the global map of academic and research agenda. It will
develop mechanisms to involve students in research as an integral
part of their learning, and partner with industry in promotion of
new ideas and innovations.
The University will have colleges and schools for various
disciplines, research laboratories & research parks, residential
colonies for students, faculty and staff, complexes for sports,
entertainment & recreation, conference centers, significant open
space to create the right atmosphere inside the campus, transport
and other infrastructure, over an area of 8000 acres. The proposed
university is planned to ultimately have 100,000 students and
corresponding faculty and staff with complete infrastructure.
This will lead to creating a vibrant township. The local population
will immensely benefit by the direct and indirect employment
potential during the project construction phase and subsequent
running of the University. Unlike an industrial project, which gets
constructed over a finite period of 3 / 4 years, the University will
be continuously expanded thus offering sustained employment
opportunity for local population.
The land for the University will be procured at fully priced current
market rates with no subsidy nor grant allocation of land by
Government. The acquisition is getting delayed and this has pushed
back the construction of the project.
We have engaged world-renowned campus planners, US-based Ayers Saint
Gross, to develop a campus master plan. India based STUP consultants
are engaged to do the detailed design for construction and the Phase
- 1 plans are already finalized. We hope that we are able to
progress with commencement of construction soon.
We also need the passage by the Orissa State Assembly of necessary
legislations to establish Vedanta University. We hope this happens
soon enough.
We are extremely passionate about building a philanthropic
institution that will educate tomorrow’s Nobel Laureates, Olympic
athletes, heads of state, civic leaders, and social transformers. We
believe that the university will prove to be a perpetual
contribution to society that will generate global leaders for
centuries to come.
We have launched our website www.vedanta.edu.in
to provide you with more updates. We
request you to visit our site. As a person who is keen to see this
University come up to bring glory to Orissa, you may feel free to
contact me at cv.krishnan@vedanta.edu.in
if you have any advice or
suggestions.
With Regards
*C.V. Krishnan *
*CEO *
Dear Friend,
We are pleased to share with you, as well wishers of the proposed
Vedanta University in Orissa, the developments to-date and our
objectives in the project. The Vedanta University will be
established in the state of Orissa, along the Puri-Konark highway.
We recall with pride the glorious past when Orissa had Ratnagiri
University, known around the world. With the active support,
encouragement and good wishes from all of you through your
constructive communication in the various blogs, e-mails and
internet communications, we are confident of making Orissa once
again a globally recognised center for higher learning.
Anil Agarwal Foundation, a “not for profit” institution, has been
founded by Mr. Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Resources Plc,
London, for making a significant contribution to a core requirement
of India viz. Education.
Anil Agarwal Foundation (AAF) has the vision of creating a
world-class, multidisciplinary university in India, of the quality
of Nalanda, Ratnagiri, Takshila of Ancient India and Harvard,
Stanford and Oxford of today. The new institution will be called
“Vedanta University” to truly reflect the philosophy and pride of
our Country.
The proposed Vedanta University will be an independent,
professionally managed and “Not For Profit” institution based on an
endowment from AAF as seed capital. It will be a Private University
to be set up under an Act of the Orissa State, and will operate on
efficient management principles, generate resources for fuelling
continuous growth in Research and Academics.
Vedanta University will have the following objectives:
1. Create a World standard research driven university where
academics and research will support and benefit from each other.
2. Build a Global scale university with a wide variety of subjects
and specialisations namely arts, sciences, economics, commerce,
education, public administration, communication, law, business
management, engineering, medicine and other professional fields.
3. Offer to all its graduates, irrespective of their specializations
a strong foundation in basic disciplines like liberal arts, basic
sciences, economics, communication, philosophy, behavioural
sciences, mathematics and IT.
4. Provide here and now within the shores of India knowledge based
education to India’s youth, to prepare them as scholars, scientists
and leaders for taking India forward.
5. Provide academic facilities, IT network / library, laboratory and
research facilities, residential and recreation infrastructure which
will make Vedanta University totally self contained like the best
universities in the world.
6. Offer bachelors, masters and research degrees in various
disciplines and offer a unique combination of intensive
specialization as well as extensive cross disciplinary study.
7. Build an organization with most competent faculty for teaching
and research and highly professional non-academic management team.
Vedanta University will promote greater learning and would place
India on the global map of academic and research agenda. It will
develop mechanisms to involve students in research as an integral
part of their learning, and partner with industry in promotion of
new ideas and innovations.
The University will have colleges and schools for various
disciplines, research laboratories & research parks, residential
colonies for students, faculty and staff, complexes for sports,
entertainment & recreation, conference centers, significant open
space to create the right atmosphere inside the campus, transport
and other infrastructure, over an area of 8000 acres. The proposed
university is planned to ultimately have 100,000 students and
corresponding faculty and staff with complete infrastructure.
This will lead to creating a vibrant township. The local population
will immensely benefit by the direct and indirect employment
potential during the project construction phase and subsequent
running of the University. Unlike an industrial project, which gets
constructed over a finite period of 3 / 4 years, the University will
be continuously expanded thus offering sustained employment
opportunity for local population.
The land for the University will be procured at fully priced current
market rates with no subsidy nor grant allocation of land by
Government. The acquisition is getting delayed and this has pushed
back the construction of the project.
We have engaged world-renowned campus planners, US-based Ayers Saint
Gross, to develop a campus master plan. India based STUP consultants
are engaged to do the detailed design for construction and the Phase
- 1 plans are already finalized. We hope that we are able to
progress with commencement of construction soon.
We also need the passage by the Orissa State Assembly of necessary
legislations to establish Vedanta University. We hope this happens
soon enough.
We are extremely passionate about building a philanthropic
institution that will educate tomorrow’s Nobel Laureates, Olympic
athletes, heads of state, civic leaders, and social transformers. We
believe that the university will prove to be a perpetual
contribution to society that will generate global leaders for
centuries to come.
We have launched our website www.vedanta.edu.in
request you to visit our site. As a person who is keen to see this
University come up to bring glory to Orissa, you may feel free to
contact me at cv.krishnan@vedanta.edu.in
suggestions.
With Regards
*C.V. Krishnan *
*CEO *
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Updates: new web page; initial building design; CAO search
Vedanta University has unveiled a new web page since March 1 2007. It has a nice picture of the location of the university. I am told that the architects of the university have come up with a detailed design of the initial buildings. Also, the CAO search is going well and an announcement in this regard may be made in May 2007.
Chitta
Chitta
