Education Minister Inaugurated IAESTE Nepal
In a significant boost to technical education and international exchange, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education of Nepal, Gopal Man Shrestha, officially inaugurated the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE program) in Nepal on 14th June 2017 amidst the program at Yak and Yeti Hotel in Kathmandu. The Minister lauded IAESTE’s initiative, noting that it would furnish Nepalese students with invaluable technical experiences and international exposure.
The event, which marks a major milestone for technical education in the country, was addressed by the country director of IAESTE Nepal, Khagendra Raj Dhakal, who introduced the IAESTE program in Nepal. Dhakal explained the IAESTE program’s importance in enhancing the hard and soft skills of Nepal-based university students.
Vice Chancellor of Tribhuvan University (TU) Dr. Tirtha Khaniya highlighted the importance of the exchange program to enhance the quality of Nepali universities and thanked the initiators who brought the IAESTE to Nepal and expressed his full support to the program in Nepal to TU colleges.
IAESTE, with a history spanning 70 years and a network across over 80 countries, is renowned for offering traineeship scholarships to students specializing in science, engineering, technology, and applied arts. The program’s launch in Nepal promises to open doors to global opportunities for Nepalese students. It provides over 5,000 traineeship scholarships to end-of-year students from STEM fields in over 15 hundred multinational companies and 2 thousand universities worldwide.
The inauguration ceremony also welcomed an international cohort of 40 IAESTE engineering trainees from 23 countries, embarking on a one-month volunteer project in Laprak, Gorkha. The Minister expressed his belief that their involvement would contribute positively to Nepal’s recovery from the 2015 Gorkha earthquake.
His Excellency Bhakavat Tanskul, the Ambassador of Thailand to Nepal, extended his support for the initiative, underscoring the importance of education and reconstruction post-earthquake. NRNA president Shesh Ghale spotlighted the collaboration with IAESTE Nepal in the Laprak reconstruction project.
The ceremony was attended by a diverse group of dignitaries, including university vice-chancellors, professors, representatives from various embassies, and members from partner organizations and educational institutions.
The launch of IAESTE Nepal, represented by Civil Initiative ( CI) Nepal as the local representative of IAESTE Global, is a step forward in fostering technical expertise and promoting global collaboration in education.