The University of Global Peace will open in Mandalay next year with the aim of teaching religious tolerance to people of all ages.
Buddhist monk U Zaw Tika, the rector of the university, told Eleven the university will offer courses in Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism, and all the classes will be taught in English.
“There have been continued wars in Iran, Iraq, and some Middle East countries since we were young. When religious conflict began in Rakhine State five years ago, I started thinking about peace efforts in our country. Conflicts break out based on religion. When people of different faiths clash over their own religions, they become religious extremists, and there is no more peace. This is why I’m trying to establish this university,” said U Zaw Tika.
The land for the university was donated by a nearby monastery on Mandalay’s Yankin Hill. The university hopes to offer BA, MA, and PhD degrees to students without charging fees aside from the cost of textbooks.
“Leaders and researchers from various religions will participate. We will assess which points contribute to peace and which points do not. We will accept any student from any religion – not just Buddhists,” the monk said.
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