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| Motto | Knowledge without borders |
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| Type | International universityPublicresearch university |
| Established | 2010; 15 years ago (2010) |
| Founder | South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation |
Parent institution | South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation |
| Budget | ₹448.13 crore (US$54.07 Million)[1] |
| President | K. K. Aggarwal[2] |
| Students | 800+ |
| Location | , India 28°29′06″N77°11′53″E / 28.485°N 77.198°E /28.485; 77.198 |
| Campus | Urban, 100 acres |
| Affiliations | Recognised by allSAARC Countries |
| Website | sau |
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South Asian University (SAU) is aninternational university sponsored by theeight Member States of theSouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The eight countries areAfghanistan,Bangladesh,Bhutan,India,Maldives,Nepal,Pakistan, andSri Lanka. The university started admitting students in 2010 at a temporary campus atAkbar Bhawan,India. Since February 2023, the University is running on its permanent campus at Maidan Garhi in SouthDelhi,India,[3] next toIndira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).[4]
At the13th SAARC Summit held inDhaka in November 2005, Indian Prime MinisterManmohan Singh proposed the establishment of a South Asian University to provide world-class facilities and professional faculty to students and researchers from SAARC member countries.[4] The "Inter-governmental Agreement for the Establishment of the South Asian University" was signed at the 14th SAARC Summit. The SAARC member states also decided that the university would be established in India.[4] ProfessorG.K. Chadha, Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council member and former vice-chancellor ofJawaharlal Nehru University, was formally appointed the CEO of the project and first President.[5]
India provides the majority of funds, aroundUS$239.93 million, for the foundation of the University, which is around 79 per cent of the total cost of the full establishment of the University until 2014. As of 2018, Pakistan had cleared most of its dues payable.[6] As of 2023, all the member countries other than India have defaulted on paying the dues.[7]
The first academic session of the university started in August 2010, with two post-graduate academic programmes inEconomics andComputer Science. As of 2023[update], SAU offered Master's and MPhil/PhD programs inApplied Mathematics,Biotechnology,Computer Science,Economics,International Relations,Legal Studies andSociology.[8] The degrees of the university are recognized by all the member nations of the SAARC according to an inter-governmental agreement signed by the foreign ministers of the eight SAARC member states.[9]
South Asian University predominantly attracts students from the eight SAARC countries, although students from other continents also attend. There is a country quota system for the admission of students. SAU conducts admission tests annually at various centres in eight countries.[9]
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The campus of South Asian University is at Maidan Garhi, adjacent toIGNOU andAsola Wildlife Sanctuary. The Master Layout Plan of this 100-acre campus houses faculty buildings, hostels, playgrounds, residential apartments and a club. The construction was completed by 2022-23.[10]
The founding President of the university,G. K. Chadha, died on 1 March 2014.[11] On 3 November 2014, Dr. Kavita Sharma took charge as the President of the university.[12] She retired in November 2019.[13] A.V.S. Ramesh Chandra was appointed as acting President. He was followed by Ranjan Kumar Mohanty, who is the last acting President.[13] Currently, on 27 December 2023, After four-year wait,K. K. Aggarwal fills South Asian University president's post[14]
The decision-making bodies of South Asian University comprise the Governing Board,[15] the Executive Council, the Academic Council, and the Finance Committee.
In July 2025, the university was involved in a disciplinary controversy after a student,Sudipta Das, was expelled following a dispute in the student mess over food restrictions during the Maha Shivratri festival.[16][17] The incident led to debates about campus discipline and freedom of expression at the institution.[18][19]
In October 2025, South Asian University (SAU) faced widespread criticism following reports of an alleged gang rape on campus involving four men, including a university security employee.[20] According to the report, the university administration was accused of attempting to hush up the incident and failing to immediately inform police or provide medical assistance to the survivor. Students later staged protests on campus, alleging an “institutional cover-up.”
Previous incidents include protests in 2022 over the reduction of student stipends, which resulted in police intervention and disciplinary actions against several students and faculty members. Associate professorSnehashish Bhattacharya was suspended and later terminated in 2023, a move that teachers' associations criticized as an attack on academic freedom.[21]
In 2024, Sri Lankan sociologistSasanka Perera and one of his students left the university after receiving disciplinary notices over a thesis that included an interview with linguistNoam Chomsky critical of the Indian government.[22]
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