South Asian University: A Long Felt Need

by Nishchal N. Pandey

The 13^th SAARC Summit held in Dhaka decided to set-up a South Asian University (SAU). Since then, academics, researchers, educationalists and bureaucrats from across the region have been deliberating on the modalities of this common regional university. There have been initial thoughts as to it being a non-profit public-private partnership model to avoid the limitations of both the state-funded universities and the sheer profit making purpose of privately owned institutions. It has also been decided that the bachelors’ level study will be held at the local level in national universities of member states while only the masters level study will take place at the main varsity. It ought to be underscored however, that even for the bachelor level, a common curricula on regional cooperation or South Asian studies has to be first agreed upon.  Given the variance in academic standards within the region, there has to be a flexible criterion for students from countries like Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan.

Another major issue will be the curriculum. South Asian countries have been used to interpret history the way their leaders and governments have told them which is why Akbar is a villain in Pakistan and Aurangazeb a devil in India (and vice versa). How the curriculum developers will set aside the contentious political issues between member states and develop a shared curriculum that develops affection, mutual trust, brotherhood and a sense of cordiality between students from all across the South Asian region will have to be seen. The fee structure is another core question. While some students from richer backgrounds maybe able to meet the expenses on their own, the poorer and disadvantaged sections of our societies ought to be provided with scholarships.

It is precisely for this purpose that the university should be affiliated to a number of leading universities and these institutions in turn should reserve seats for our students. For instance, the South Asia Foundation (SAF) has already established centers of excellence in each of the SAARC countries and is already funding the SAF Madanjeet Singh group scholarships in a number of SAF institutions of excellence. The SAU should seek help from non-political, non-profit seeking institutions such as SAF for offering group scholarships to SAARC students in the affiliated universities.

As far as the faculty is concerned, the SAU must strive to bring together as many academics and researchers currently working in the field of South Asian regional cooperation from within the region involving all the member states. This will not only bring in the synergy, diversity and experience but also help it erect a solid foundation. It must become a common campus where students from all the SAARC countries can live and study together, where faculties are drawn from all the member countries of SAARC and an institution that will become a centre of excellence, not only for our region but also for the foreign students wishing to pursue South Asian studies. A critical decision will be whether or not to allow students of foreign nationalities in the SAU or should it be solely for citizens of SAARC member countries?

There are very strong cultural affinities amongst countries of SAARC and these affinities can be upheld to create a greater sense of identity amongst the SAARC countries and to blend the mythology, history and culture of the region. In this perspective also, the UNESCO in cooperation with SAF had organized a live performance by 40 South Asian dancers and musicians entitled “The Oral and Intangible Heritage of South Asia” in Paris in March 2006. Such programs have already set the base for a dynamic cross-fertilization of ideas, customs and way of life of South Asians for the SAU to build on.

The common dream of an integrated South Asia where goods and services move around freely, where bilateral political problems no longer trouble us, where road, train and air networks bind the people and where a common currency symbolizes the synergy and the potential of the region is not a far-fetched dream if we are able to implement the SAU as desired by our leaders. But it is upto the SAU to seek cooperation and support from organizations, individuals and intellectuals to be able to live upto the expectations.

Pandey is a well-known Nepali academic and author of several books on regional cooperation in South Asia

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