4 March 2015
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Australia’s first government accredited Buddhist tertiary education provider, the Nan Tien Institute (NTI), officially opened its doors on Sunday 1 March 2015, at its newly constructed Wollongong Campus.
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NTI describes itself as a secular tertiary Institute and says its purpose is to educate students in a context informed by Buddhist wisdom and values. It aims to facilitate cultural understanding and appreciation through the academic study of the arts, education, human welfare, religions and other disciplines.
NTI currently offers six post graduate courses through its Faculty of Humanities and new Faculty of Health. These are Master of Arts (Applied Buddhist Studies and Health and Social Wellbeing); Graduate Diploma (Applied Buddhist Studies and Health and Social Wellbeing); and Graduate Certificate (Applied Buddhist Studies and Health and Social Wellbeing).
The $50million first stage of the campus incorporates teaching and community facilities, a museum and art gallery, library, cafe, gift shop and lecture theatres
The campus caters for 300 students and aims to build to 3000 students when a second stage is completed and will expand to include courses such as a business degree, Masters of Business Leadership and Doctor of Philosophy.
Nan Tien Institute is part of an international university consortium with three sister universities in Taiwan and USA and 16 colleges and memorandums of understanding with Australian and international universities.
Design firm Woods Bagot used the Buddhist symbol of the lotus flower as the starting point for the design of the building.
Nan Tien means “paradise of the south”