When this person bought the land plot, did he already know that a university would be built there? I don't think he knew. In this case, what is the thoughtfulness of his investment? After all, this man was accidentally lucky. If he had bought up a lot of land around the city, it would have been a well-thought-out investment (if the city expanded in any direction, the land in that direction would increase in value).
That will depend. As far as I know, these construction projects are often discussed and planned for months or even years before they are implemented. If he is well-off and has many connections, it is not surprising that he knows in advance about real estate areas that are being planned and compensated in the near future. I believe that those in third world countries are no strangers to these things.
Another thing is that from the beginning this guy intended to invest in real estate in the central or neighboring areas. This shows that he also has a vision but due to limited capital, he cannot realize it. So I don't think this guy is lucky, maybe he is someone who has quite good relationship with leaders/politicians in that area.