KATHMANDU, July 16: Looking for acquiring a world class technical education at an affordable cost and near to home? If so, a reputed Bangladesh university might be the right fit for you.

Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU), a government university in Dinajpur, Bangaladesh provides a variety of graduate and post graduate courses to its national and international students.

Organizing a press meet at the Reporters’ Club Nepal on Monday, Professor Dr. Bikash Chandra Sarker, the In-charge of HSTU’s International Affairs Section said that as a government university they offer best-in-class technical education since 1999 and offers scholarships to 50 international students on the basis of merit every year.

“We provide quality education to students from across the world. We respect talent and always strive to provide competitive education to our students enabling them to shape their own future,” Prof Sarker said while speaking at the meet.

Prof Sarker asserted that the aim of university is to offer international standard education to improve skills, attitude and knowledge of the students who can fulfill the demands of the global employment market.

The university offers four and five-year courses graduate courses in the field of agriculture, engineering, computer science, fisheries, veterinary and business development, and social sciences.

Responding to queries, on the security concerns of international students in Bangladesh, he said that the university is located away from the city and offers safe and peaceful environment for its students to engage in academic activities.

Responding to the journalist question of any special scholarship for Nepalese students, Prof. Sarker said that though the university does not offer special scholarship for Nepalese students only, its fee structure is affordable to most of the Nepalese students.

Presently there are over 200 international students at the student hailing from Nepal, India, Bhutan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Somalia, among other nations.

Nepalese graduated student from this university Roshan Shah shared his experience at program. “I found family and friendly environment at the university. The education fee is minimum and the faculty members are quite helpful. I am glad that I joined this university and acquired a degree,” Shah said informing that he recently graduate in veterinary and animal sciences from there.

Elaborating on the process to enroll at the university, he suggested students to visit the university website or reach out to the Bangladesh embassy near them for counseling and inquiries.

KATHMANDU: The ECAN Education Fair 2013 has kicked off in the capital on Thursday.

CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal inaugurated the four-day fair organized by the Education Consultancies Association of Nepal (ECAN).

On the occasion, Khanal said the Nepal needs a new education system to retain the skilled human resource at home and utilize their minds for nation building process.

Similarly, President of ECAN Rajendra Baral said Nepal could become an educational hub if we were able to identify new areas of studies.

Country Director of British Council Brendan McSharry also lauded the effective of ECAN on supporting students in their quest of quality education. The exhibition organized at Bhrikuti Mandap will last for four days.

KATHMANDU: In Nepalese society, where caste-based discrimination is all-too common, being a Dalit (“untouchable”) means facing a life without access to opportunity – educational, economic or political.

Being female merely adds to the challenge. According to the 2001 census, only 43% of the Dalit population is literate, and the rate is much lower among Dalit women.

“Dalit women face double discrimination – added to the discrimination based on caste, they also face gender-based discrimination,” said Birendra Bishwokarma, president of the Professional Development and Research Centre (PDRC), a non-governmental organisation that works on Dalit issues.

“Even if they are talented, Dalit girls rarely get chances to get higher education and reach leadership positions,” he told Khabar South Asia.

Back in 2006, PDRC took steps to change that, through “Empowering Dalit Daughters,” a scholarship programme for Dalit girls.

With financial support from the Nepal Youth Foundation, it embarked on a nationwide talent hunt to select 25 talented and motivated Dalit girls. They received scholarships to prestigious colleges in Kathmandu, as well as food and accommodation at a hostel in the capital for six years.

Before being placed in top colleges, the students received training in leadership, counseling and communications skills.

“The objective of the programme was to create role models out of these girls, which we believe will help make people aware about the importance of educating their daughters,” Bishwokarma said. “It was also an effort to bring the leadership developed at local level into national level.”

Success stories

Better education has translated into better opportunities for these young women. Hema Shreepaile, 23, and Mala Nepali, 24, are two of them. Shreepaile works at the prestigious Hotel Annapurna in Kathmandu, while Nepali is employed with an education consultancy in the city.

Shreepaile, who hails from Kailali district in western Nepal, scored Gold Medal from Tribhuvan University in 2012 for earning highest marks in the Bachelor’s in Hotel Management programme.

“I feel very happy to have received the scholarship,” Shreepaile told Khabar. “It helped me in many ways. It supported me financially to achieve my dreams. It also provided me a learning environment, helped me become more confident about myself and develop leadership qualities.

“Living with 24 students of different cultures from different parts of the country helped me learn a lot about their cultures, as well,” she added.

Mala Nepali says the programme has not only helped her, but inspired others.

“More and more people in my community have begun sending their daughters to school nowadays,” she said. “Sometimes, I have found mothers telling their daughters that they should study and become like me. It pleases me to know that I am inspiring some people.”

Two of the 25 participants have finished their graduate studies; 13 have completed their undergraduate programmes; five more are waiting for their final results.

According to Bishwokarma, the assistance will continue. “Although as of now, we do not have funds to repeat the programme, PDRC intends to keep supporting more Dalit girls by providing them with training and connecting them with scholarship opportunities nationally and internationally,” he told Khabar.

Bidhyanath Koirala, an educator, believes such efforts to educate girls is beneficial to the community as a whole. “Since girls are more connected to their family and their community, educating girls can have huge impact,” he told Khabar.

KATHMANDU: Nepal government has come up with a samaritan idea to help researchers aiming to expand the sector of research to utilize knowledge within the country itself after receiving Masters´ or Ph. D degree in science and technology from home or abroad.

According to the state owned-news agency (RSS), Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) has decided to promote the research sector to control the rampant brain drain facing the country and utilise the skilled human resources.

It is believed that over 45,000 skilled human resources and talents were last year forced to go abroad, citing lack of research opportunities within the country.

According to the statistics made available by the Department of Foreign Employment, around 200 youths receiving the graduation degree leave the country in connection with foreign employment every day.

Opening the National Biotech Exhibition amidst a programme at Tripureshwor in the capital here today, NAST Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr Surendra Raj Kafle urged those people receiving bachelor´s or master´s degree under the faculty of science and technology to visit the NAST for work rather than complaining of lack of employment opportunity.