KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Education and Sports has appointed four experts from the fields of information technology, industry, STEM education, and nursing and public health to the Academic Council of the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT).
The ministry has nominated IT and digital policy expert Dr. Amrita Sharma, President of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries Birendra Raj Pandey, STEM education expert and co-founder of Karkhana Dr. Dipeshwar Man Shrestha, and nursing and public health expert Pramila Rana as members of the council.
The CTEVT Academic Council serves as the apex academic and policy-making body responsible for curriculum development, approval of new programs, quality assurance, evaluation systems, and long-term direction of technical and vocational education in Nepal.
Dr. Sharma is widely recognized as a researcher and policy expert in information technology, digital transformation, and the digital economy. She holds a PhD in ICT with a focus on employability and has contributed extensively to studies on IT sector development, digital skills, and service export potential in Nepal.
She has also led key research initiatives, including “Unleashing IT: Advancing Nepal’s Digital Economy,” which highlighted Nepal’s potential as a hub for IT service exports and recommended reforms in policy, workforce development, and private sector collaboration.
Industrialist Birendra Raj Pandey brings decades of experience in construction, infrastructure, and industrial development. With an engineering background, he has been active in the private sector for over three decades. His inclusion is expected to strengthen the linkage between technical education and industry requirements and labor market demand.
Similarly, Dr. Dipeshwar Man Shrestha, co-founder of Karkhana, holds a PhD in STEM education from Tufts University in the United States. He has been involved in promoting hands-on learning, teacher capacity building, innovation culture, and maker-based education in Nepal. His expertise is expected to support the integration of creativity, research, and entrepreneurship into technical education.
Health expert Pramila Rana has completed her postgraduate studies in nursing from India and a fellowship in Health and Society from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. She is currently serving as a clinical coordinator at the Nepal Red Cross Society and has previously worked with Save the Children, Norvic International Hospital, and other national and international organizations in public health, emergency response, and WASH programs.
Officials believe that the inclusion of experts from diverse fields will enhance the academic council’s multidisciplinary capacity and help align technical and vocational education with modern industry needs, innovation, and labor market demands.
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