Establish Centre of Buddhist Studies at ANU: AP Governor

GUNTUR: Marking 50 years of academic service, AP Governor and Chancellor S Abdul Nazeer called upon Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) to explore establishing a dedicated ‘Centre of Buddhist Studies’ to honor the legacy of 2nd-century AD philosopher Acharya Nagarjuna, after whom the institution is named.

Nazeer recalled that the institution originated as a Post-Graduate Centre of Andhra University in 1967 before evolving into an independent, full-fledged university inaugurated by former President of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed on September 11, 1976.

Highlighting its institutional expansion, the Governor noted that while ANU began its journey with just 10 academic departments and 600 students in 1976, it has grown into a major hub of higher education and research, serving 6,000 students and 100 research scholars.

He pointed out that renaming the university in 2004 in honour of Acharya Nagarjuna, a scholar hailing from Vedali in the Andhra region, established a lasting cultural connection. Creating a specialised research centre dedicated to Buddhist philosophy would serve as a fitting tribute to his historic contributions to global thought.

Nazeer congratulated Vice-Chancellor Prof. K Gangadhara Rao and the administration for maintaining high institutional benchmarks, specifically noting the university’s NAAC A+ Grade accreditation secured in 2024 with an impressive CGPA of 3.46 out of 4.00.

He commended ANU’s consistent recognition in national and global academic evaluations, including the NIRF 2025 and QS Asia 2026 rankings.

Unveiling the university’s official Golden Jubilee commemorative logo, the Governor urged the community to use milestone to boost its focus on innovation, entrepreneurship aligning its vision with the objectives of ‘Swarna Andhra’ and ‘Viksit Bharat@2047.’