In the knowledge economy, nations with great universities will thrive. The great universities of the world - be it Stanford, UC Berkeley or MIT of today, or Nalanda of ancient India - are multidisciplinary in nature; serve as engines for research, education, and innovation; drive economic growth; solve the problems of society and humanity; and make lives better for people. Even after over 70 years of independence, India does not have even one world-class multidisciplinary research university. This fund is to help accelerate the creation of a first-of-its-kind multidisciplinary research university in India.

The higher education system is a critical foundation for any society and nation. Unfortunately, India's higher education system is in crisis. Nalanda 2.0 (www.nalanda2.org) is on a mission to transform India’s higher education system and make it world class. Nalanda 2.0’s mission is all about empowering people and societies: educating the youth, upskilling and reskilling its professionals, addressing problems that matter to society and industries, and spurring research, innovation, start-ups, and the economy.

This fund is to raise $10,000 for Nalanda 2.0 to enable it to launch Ekagrid, a first-of-its-kind world-class multidisciplinary research university in India, in 2022. Ekagrid (previously University of the Future in India) has reached an agreement with the Karnataka Government to establish Ekagrid in Bengaluru and have signed MOUs. Why does this matter? In the knowledge economy, nations with great universities will thrive. The great universities of the world - be it Stanford, UC Berkeley or MIT of today, or Nalanda of ancient India - are multidisciplinary in nature; serve as engines for research, education, and innovation; drive economic growth; solve the problems of society and humanity; and make lives better for people. However, even after over 70 years of independence, India does not have even one such world-class multidisciplinary research university. What is the current status? Nalanda 2.0 launched this university initiative in 2018. Thanks to the support of over 1075 donors to Nalanda 2.0, which includes Cisco employees and matching company contributions, and dedicated efforts of many, significant progress has been made: assembled an exceptional team, developed an actionable plan, established a Section 8 non-profit company in India with a stellar Board of Directors, announced the founding Chancellor and the founding COO, finalized branding, registered trademarks, and received approvals for 12A and 80G exemptions. Most recently, reached an agreement with the Karnataka Government to establish Ekagrid in Bengaluru and signed two MOUs. More details can be found at https://www.ekagrid.org/. What is the planned impact? When established, Ekagrid will spur the development of high technology industries in India and more broadly, solve problems that matter to society, create new knowledge, spur innovation and entrepreneurship, and prepare the next generation of innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, and leaders. Thus, a gift to launch Ekagrid is a gift that will keep giving back, forever! How will funds be used? With your support, Nalanda 2.0 can complete the key next steps necessary for launching Ekagrid in 2022, including raising Phase 1 funds for the university, purchasing land, receiving regulatory approvals, selecting the founding VC and the founding team, and establishing additional partnerships with premier research universities.

This fund aims to raise $25,000 for Nalanda 2.0, a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is driving an initiative to build Ekagrid, a first-of-its-kind world-class multidisciplinary research university in India. Ekagrid envisions being in the top 25 of global rankings by 2050 and have faculty and alumni win global awards such as the Nobel Prize and the Turing Award. Ekagrid's mission is to solve problems that matter to society and industry, create new knowledge, spur innovation and entrepreneurship, up-skill and re-skill professionals, and prepare students for their careers, lives, and life-long learning. Ekagrid has signed MoUs with the Government of Karnataka for acquiring 200 acres of land in Bengaluru and passing the Ekagrid University Act. The key next step is to raise at least INR 1200 Cr./US$150M in private philanthropic funding to launch and build the first phase of Ekagrid. This fund will enable Nalanda 2.0 to continue the discussions with potential donors and secure the necessary funding to get Ekagrid off the ground.

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