Leh: Sindhu Central University (SCU), touted as the world's highest university at an altitude of around 3,500 metres above sea level, has inaugurated its transit campus in Khaltsi, Ladakh, and conducted its first convocation ceremony.

The transit campus was inaugurated on July 20, while the university held its maiden convocation on July 22, awarding degrees to its first batch of 14 students, including two women. Two graduates have secured PhD admissions at IIT Delhi and IIT Jammu, respectively.

Established by an Act of Parliament in 2009, SCU is the first trans-Himalayan central university aimed at serving the educational needs of the Union Territory of Ladakh, including Leh and Kargil. The permanent campus is being developed on a 110-acre site in Khaltsi, and the university is expected to become fully operational by 2028.

The university is mentored by IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur.

Prof V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, chairs the Executive Council, while Dr B Chandrasekar, Executive Director of EdCIL, serves as Secretary. Classes at the transit campus are currently underway, with facilities including a library, multifunctional lab, classrooms, and hostels.

Dignitaries present at the convocation included Ladakh Chief Secretary Pawan Kotwal, NETF Chairman Anil Sahasrabuddhe, IIM Indore Director Prof Himanshu Rai, former IGNOU VC Prof Nageshwar Rao, and other senior officials and academics.

The university offers interdisciplinary programmes such as MTech in Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, MTech in Energy Technology and Policy, MA in Public Policy, and MA in Buddhist Studies, with faculty support from IITs.

SCU has signed MoUs with institutions including the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Central University of Jammu, ISRO-NARL, CSIR-CSIO, and international universities such as the University of San Diego.

Named after the Indus (Sindhu) River, the university aspires to become a centre of excellence in research and education, focusing on climate change, sustainable development, and regional studies.