Leh engineer behind 3 Idiots' Phunsukh Wangdu to set up 'alternative' University
New Delhi: Leh engineer Sonam Wangchuk, who inspired the character Phunsukh Wangdu played by Aamir Khan in Hindi film '3 Idiots', has announced setting up of an "alternative university" for mountain development.
"We are preparing to launch an ambitious project -- Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), an alternative university for mountain development. It will be the sweat equity that the students will be paying as a fee for the university.
"Moreover, the institute will engage the students in finding real solutions to real life challenges faced by the people of the mountains. This project will change the face of higher education in India and the future of it has already begun," Mr Wangchuk said during an interactive session in New Delhi today.
Mr Wangchuk, who recently bagged Rolex Awards for Enterprise 2016 for his innovation of Ice Stupas, was in New Delhi to participate in the Future Talk series titled "the Next Learning Revolution".
The local government of Ladakh has been very supportive of the project by giving 200 acres of land for the construction of the university.
The vision of the university would be to provide the young generation of Ladakh with a platform where they would be running various enterprises, the funds from which will play a major role in running the varsity.
