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. Both Assam and Meghalaya are in contention for this coveted institution.
‘We have requested both the governments in Assam and Meghalaya to allot land measuring about 20 acres for setting up of the university. The university will be set up wherever the land allotment is made earlier. Meghalaya government has shown keen interest in making allotment of land in Shillong at the earliest. The government of Assam was requested for land at Guwahati for the varsity by the UN first in February 2014 and again on August 3 this year,’ an UNESCO official said.
The UN varsity in the Northeast would facilitate study of various courses of arts stream, social sciences, management, science and technology. It will admit students in graduate, post-graduate level besides research scholars. The first such varsity is functioning in Tokyo, Japan.