Gautam Buddha University Explores Academic Collaboration with SAMHiTA Manuscript Archive

Greater Noida News (22/02/2026): Gautam Buddha University on Thursday hosted a high-level delegation from the SAMHiTA Project to explore avenues for academic and institutional collaboration in the fields of manuscript studies, digitization, and digital humanities.

The delegation from SAMHiTA—an initiative dedicated to preserving South Asia’s manuscript heritage—held detailed discussions with the university leadership on building long-term academic partnerships. The visiting team included Sudha Gopalakrishnan, Project Director of SAMHiTA and Executive Director of the International Research Division at the India International Centre, Arun Singhal, Advisor to the International Research Division, Niharika Gupta, Project Manager of SAMHiTA, and Saurav, a member of the project team.

The delegation met Vice Chancellor Rana Pratap Singh, engaging in an in-depth and forward-looking dialogue on potential synergies between the two institutions. Discussions centered on collaborative efforts in manuscript digitization, archival documentation, interdisciplinary research, and the expansion of digital humanities initiatives. Both sides also deliberated on the formulation of a formal Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate sustained cooperation.

SAMHiTA—short for South Asian Manuscript Histories and Textual Archive—is a flagship programme of the India International Centre, supported by the Ministry of External Affairs. The project aims to create a comprehensive digital repository of South Asian manuscripts preserved in collections across the world, with the objective of virtually reuniting dispersed knowledge traditions through high-quality digital images, scholarly descriptions, and detailed metadata.

In its first phase between 2022 and 2023, the project successfully digitized and hosted over 1,100 manuscripts on its online portal. By the end of its second phase, scheduled for mid-2026, the archive is expected to expand by an additional 3,000 manuscripts, positioning SAMHiTA among the largest digital repositories of South Asian manuscript heritage globally.

The meeting was also attended by senior faculty members of the university, including Dhanalakshmi, Dean of the School of Biotechnology, and Chintala Venkata Sivasai, Director of International Affairs and Head of the School of Buddhist Studies and Civilization. Both actively contributed to the discussions and highlighted the academic and research potential of collaboration with SAMHiTA.

The interaction concluded on an optimistic note, with both Gautam Buddha University and the SAMHiTA Project expressing a shared commitment to advancing scholarly exchange and enhancing global access to India’s rich manuscript legacy through digital preservation initiatives.

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