Patan (Lalitpur), July 20: Minister for Education, Science and Technology Bidya Bhattarai stressed the need to connect the universities’ research with communities.
At a discussion on the ‘status of implementation of the current education policy’ organized by the Kathmandu University School of Education (KUSOED) in Lalitpur today, she underlined the importance to enhance research capacity and skills of the students by establishing connection between the researchers with the community.
“The governments have not been so far able to pay attention to accepting the subjects researched by the university. The government having executive role and the university should work in tandem and there should be continuous dialogue between the two entities”, the minster noted.
Around 70 per cent technical education should be emphasized in coordination with the universities, she argued, adding much have remained to be done hand in hand with the province and local levels.
Minister Bhattarai expressed her commitment to coordinate and hold discussions with the university in the field of technology.
Also speaking on the occasion, KU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Bhola Thapa opined that the university’s job is not only to impart education and services but also to carry out research.
“Do not be afraid to do new and innovative work, higher education should also be good to make school education excellent, focus should be on the progress of the country and utilization of resources. The work we do will be important in advancing Nepal’s education by evaluating the responsibility, strategy and contribution. Prof Dr Thapa said.
He said that the students should fulfill the desire of the students and fill the knowledge.
It is our challenge now to understand what the international institutions say rather than what the government says in the field of latest technology and education, he asserted, stressing the university should pay attention to ‘mentoring’.
“We are suffering when we abandon traditional skills capable of enriching us and moving towards modernity”, he said, adding the KU would move ahead very effectively at the national and international level.
Joint-Secretary at the Ministry Baikuntha Prasad Aryal said the enrollment rate in technical and vocational education and training agencies was not satisfactory.
There was no coordination between targets and markets in the field of technical education, he opined that the government’s budget allocation to that end was low.
He drew attention to enhance capacity of the CTEVT as per the demand of the market.
Dean of Kathmandu School of Education Prof Dr Bal Chandra Luitel shared that the university has been working closely with the community for the past three years.
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