Kathmandu University (KU) held the first phase of its 31st convocation on December 10 at Dhulikhel’s central campus. It was presided over by Prime Minister and KU Chancellor Sushila Karki, Nepal’s first woman prime minister and KU’s first woman chancellor. The event witnessed a new shift in national academic leadership. Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit joined in as the chief guest, adding a South Asian resonance to the morning.
This year, 2,209 students received degrees across seven schools: Arts (83), Education (294), Engineering (340), Law (36), Management (378), Medical Sciences (881) and Science (197). Among them were 7 PhDs, 397 postgraduate graduates, 50 PGD recipients and 1,728 undergraduates. Women represented 47.76 per cent of graduates.
A total of 196 international students from 17 countries graduated this year, showing KU’s growing global reach. The university also marked a few important firsts: 20 students graduated in Medical Research, one student completed the MPhil by Research in Mathematics, and 29 students finished the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture for the first time.
With this group, Kathmandu University has now produced 50,040 graduates in total, and about 12 per cent of them are international students.
Beyond the ceremony, Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Achyut Wagle used the event to speak candidly about the challenges facing higher education in Nepal, such as student migration, unequal access and low investment. Wagle also said KU is working to reduce this talent loss. He pointed out that KU graduates are employed at a very high rate and that interest from foreign faculty is rising, with more than 450 international scholars applying to teach under KU’s new visiting-professor program.
KU’s global partnerships have now reached 284 institutions in 41 countries. These links support joint degrees, exchange programs and shared research. New projects, including a high-performance computing centre and digital tools like the KU Connect app, show the university’s aim to build a stronger, research-based academic environment.
In addition, on the very day, ICIMOD (The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development) formally handed over the Secretariat of the Himalayan University Consortium to Kathmandu University. The agreement was signed on Wednesday at ICIMOD’s headquarters in Kathmandu. Established in 2007, the consortium brings together more than 100 universities and academic institutions to strengthen cooperation on research and education, especially on issues affecting the Hindu Kush Himalaya. It links experts, students and researchers across borders to tackle shared challenges in mountain environments.
