PATAN: Kathmandu University (KU) and the Nepal Policy Institute (NPI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on academic and policy research initiatives.
The agreement was formalized during a ceremony held on Monday at KU’s School of Management in Balkumari, Lalitpur.
Under the MoU, the two institutions will work together on joint research, publications, and academic exchanges involving researchers, professors, and students. They also committed to mobilizing research grants in the field of public policy and supporting each other’s academic initiatives, said Dr. Dinesh Kafle, Head of the Department of Global Engagement at KU.
Vice Chancellor of KU, Prof. Dr. Achyut Wagle, said the partnership would open doors for meaningful academic exchange and performance between the university and the global academic community. He highlighted NPI’s global network of experts as an asset to KU’s teaching and research ambitions.
NPI Board Chairman Dr. Khagendra Dhakal emphasized the importance of such collaborations in strengthening Nepal’s think tank ecosystem and policy research. “This partnership will enable Nepali talents abroad to contribute their expertise to Nepal’s development,” he added, calling for more collaboration between universities, think tanks, and the public sector.
Kathmandu University, established in 1991, currently has around 22,000 students across its central and affiliated campuses. NPI, founded in The Hague in 2017, operates a global network of over 1,260 Nepali expatriate professionals.
Previously, KU and NPI have partnered in the Nepal Policy Leadership Program (NPLP), which trains federal government officials.
Monday’s signing event was attended by KU Deans Prof. Dr. Vijay KC (School of Management) and Prof. Dr. Manish Pokharel (School of Engineering), as well as faculty officials and NPI representatives, including Gopi Mainali, Saru Joshi Shrestha, Samjhana Shrestha, Dr. Bikal Shrestha, Dr. Prahlad Karki, Advocate Bhupal Dhakal, and Sudhir Shrestha.
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