- Gautam Buddha University hosted a delegation from SAMHiTA to discuss collaborations in manuscript digitization and digital humanities.
- SAMHiTA aims to create a comprehensive digital repository of South Asian manuscripts, with over 1,100 digitized in its first phase and plans for 3,000 more by 2026.
- The meeting explored potential partnerships, including a formal MoU, to preserve and share South Asia’s manuscript heritage globally.
Gautam Buddha University hosted a high-level delegation from the SAMHiTA Project to explore potential academic and institutional collaborations in manuscript studies, digitization, and digital humanities. SAMHiTA, an initiative dedicated to preserving South Asia’s manuscript heritage, seeks to build long-term partnerships with academic institutions like Gautam Buddha University.
The delegation, which 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, engaged in extensive discussions with the university’s leadership.
During the meeting, the delegation met with Vice Chancellor Rana Pratap Singh to explore synergies between the two institutions. The conversation focused on potential collaboration in the areas of manuscript digitization, archival documentation, interdisciplinary research, and the expansion of digital humanities initiatives. Both parties also discussed the possibility of formalizing their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure sustained cooperation.
SAMHiTA, which stands 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 various collections worldwide. Its goal is to reunite fragmented knowledge traditions by providing high-quality digital images, scholarly descriptions, and detailed metadata of these manuscripts. By doing so, SAMHiTA hopes to increase access to these valuable cultural and intellectual resources for scholars and the wider public.
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In the first phase of the project, between 2022 and 2023, SAMHiTA successfully digitized and made available more than 1,100 manuscripts on its online portal. By mid-2026, during its second phase, the project plans to digitize an additional 3,000 manuscripts, further solidifying SAMHiTA’s position as one of the largest digital repositories of South Asian manuscript heritage globally.
The meeting also included senior faculty members from Gautam Buddha University, such as 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 contributed to the discussions, emphasizing the academic and research potential that a partnership with SAMHiTA could offer. Dhanalakshmi highlighted the value of interdisciplinary collaborations, particularly in the areas of digital preservation and biotechnology, while Sivasai emphasized how Gautam Buddha University's focus on Buddhist studies could benefit from the vast manuscript archives that SAMHiTA is working to preserve.
The discussion concluded with both Gautam Buddha University and the SAMHiTA Project expressing their shared commitment to advancing scholarly exchange and increasing global access to India’s rich manuscript heritage. The collaboration, which will help digitize and preserve ancient manuscripts, promises to make these resources accessible to scholars, students, and researchers worldwide, contributing significantly to the field of digital humanities.
As Gautam Buddha University continues to foster global academic partnerships, the discussions with SAMHiTA mark an important step in expanding its engagement in the fields of manuscript preservation and digital humanities. With both institutions dedicated to advancing knowledge and preserving cultural heritage, the potential for meaningful collaboration is significant.
