A brilliant history: The first rise of the university form in India, 6th Century BCE to 12th Century CE
- Shailendra Raj Mehta, MICA
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Unknown to most scholars today, India had a very vibrant system of universities from the 6th century BCE to the 12th century AC. During this period, seven universities achieved prominence, and they were in the order of establishment, Taxila, Nalanda, Valabhi, Vikramshila, Odantapuri, Jagaddala, and Somapura. In this talk, we will discuss the seventeen major innovations that occurred in these universities over these 1800 years. We will also discuss the causes of their ultimate downfall. Just as these universities were being eclipsed, the universities in Europe were rising, and they rediscovered and independently recreated all of these innovations in almost the same order. Briefly, we will also touch upon the six additional innovations in Europe and America. We source every piece of evidence from the archaeological record and from the Classical texts of India, Europe, and East Asia. Overall, we seek to paint a broad picture of the development of the University form over 2600 years. As part of this talk, we will present a lot of material that is not very well known, but which is crucial for the understanding of the longevity and dynamics of this fascinating organisation.
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Dr. Shailendra Raj Mehta is currently the President and Director and Distinguished Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at MICA, in Ahmedabad, India. Previously, he headed Auro University and Ahmedabad University. Before that, he had stints at Duke CE and the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (joint appointment), and Purdue University, where he taught Economics and Strategic Management.
He has done extensive research in Entrepreneurship, Industrial Organisation, Information Economics, and Experimental Economics. His research has been the subject of a full-length review by The Economist. His work on creating world-class universities has been discussed around the world and profiled in multiple languages. He is rated as one of the top researchers in the field of strategy in India.
His BA and MA are from Delhi University (St. Stephen’s College and Delhi School of Economics respectively), his MPhil is from Balliol College, Oxford, and his Ph.D. is from Harvard.
