UN to set up global varsity in N-E

Bijay Sankar Bora

Tribune News Service

Guwahati, October 15

The United Nations (UN) has selected conflict-ridden northeastern region of India for setting up its second global university that will facilitate study on resolution of conflicts and other subjects.

The university is being set up in North-East as per a tripartite agreement signed by the UN, the Government of India and the Federation of UN Associations in India. Students from all over the world will be eligible to study there.

It is expected to become functional from next year. The first such university is functioning in Tokyo, Japan. Secretary general of the UNESCO Association here Dr Aswini Sharma said the varsity would facilitate study of various courses in arts stream, social sciences, management, science and technology. It would admit students for graduate, postgraduate courses, besides research scholars.

The university would come up either at Guwahati in Assam or Shillong in Meghalaya subject to availability of land. “We have requested governments in Assam and Meghalaya to allot around 20 acres for setting up of the university. The university will be set up wherever the land allotment is made at the earliest. The Meghalaya Government has showed keen interest in making quick allotment of land at Shillong. The government of Assam was requested for land at Guwahati first in February, 2014, and then on August 3 this year,” the UNESCO official said.