4 Sri Lankan scholars getting their degrees at 2nd convocation of South Asia University

New Delhi: South Asian University is conducting its second convocation at the Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi on Monday, 12 June. The convocation will be presided over by Ambassador of Nepal to India Deep Kumar Upadhayay and Minister of State for External Affairs, Govt. of India M.J. Akbar will be the Chief Guest. The newly elected Secretary General of SAARC Amjad Hussain B. Sial will also be present at the event along with other members of SAU’s statutory bodies from around the South Asian region.

A total of 185 students will be conferred Masters and MPhil Degrees in various programs that include Applied Mathematics, Biotechnology, Computer Science, Development Economics, International Relations, Legal Studies and Sociology. 11 program toppers will be honoured with the SAU Gold Medal. Students from all the eight SAARC countries will be present at the convocation. Out of the total number of graduates, 21 are from Afghanistan, 28 from Bangladesh, one from Bhutan, one from Maldives, 16 from Nepal, 11 from Pakistan and 3 from Sri Lanka while the rest 104 are from India. 9 students will get their MPhil Degrees – one each from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan and 7 from India.

Mandated to inculcate a sense of regional consciousness among the young minds of the South Asian region while imparting cutting-edge knowledge, South Asian University was established by the governments of the eight SAARC nations. The university took off in 2010 with two Master’s Degree Programs. Today, SAU offers seven Master’s and an equal number of doctoral programs.

The construction of the permanent campus of the South Asian University is going on in Maidan Garhi in New Delhi. In his speech as the Chief Guest in the last convocation of SAU, Retd. General VK Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, Govt. of India, re-iterated India’s commitment in bearing the entire capital cost to set up the campus.

South Asian University (SAU) is an international university established, funded and maintained by the governments of the eight member nations of South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) viz. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SAU started its operations from the academic year 2010. The university now offers Masters and Mphil/PhD research programs in seven disciplines that include Economics, Computer Science, Biotechnology, Applied Mathematics, Sociology, International Relations and Legal Studies. 

SAU attracts students from all over South Asia, and its degrees are recognised by all the eight SAARC countries. Many of its graduates have already found employment in the region and some have been offered higher education opportunities in countries beyond South Asia as well.

The university is currently functioning from Akbar Bhawan, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi and construction of the permanent campus has started over a 100 acre plot in Maidan Garhi, South Delhi in late May 2016.