Background

Nepali society needs visionary and creative thinkers to understand the changing social, political, cultural, and economic climate. Research on these areas is essential and must be supported by quality research that young researchers conduct. Achieving high-quality research in Nepal is especially challenging given the research environment of the country. Terrain related to science, development, climate, and policy is still fragmented. The research trend does not promote critical thinking and investments in research are limited as well. Findings are usually poorly documented and not shared among researchers even if they exist. The outputs are rarely communicated to the wider public in a language that they can understand.

Young graduates can play a significant role in carrying out research, sharing results among their peers and other groups within society for betterment. Graduates from Nepali universities need to engage with each other and a wider society to promote economic development, social welfare, and environmental stewardship. However, they lack skills to carry out quality research and get little input from research organizations that pioneer in these issues. Due to this challenge, the findings do not generate new knowledge that will be instrumental in addressing policy issues and challenges. This will lead to low-quality input of produced graduates to the think tanks. In both cases, society loses.

Improving the quality of education is not only the responsibility of educational institutions, but the role played by other stakeholders is equally important. It requires a partnership among these stakeholders to improve the quality of research in the country. For this reason, Central Department of Environmental Science, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University (CDES-IOST-TU), Resources Himalaya Foundation (RHF), and Institute for Social and Environmental Transition-Nepal (ISET-N) formed a consortium in 2015 to help build an ecosystem capable of carrying out high-quality research. For this, the consortium agreed to annually hold the Graduate Conference of the universities in Nepal known as the Himalayan Knowledge Conclave. The conference is held in the first week of April every year.

The Government of Nepal – Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (GoN-MoEST) has generously patronized and supported the initiatives since 2018. Now, it is time to work together for the 2025 Conference. With this motive, the Graduate Conference 2025 has been proposed to convene from April 5-6, 2025. The Nepal Open University will lead the 11th conference with partnering other universities and stakeholders in Kathmandu.

Goal

To establish an interdisciplinary knowledge-sharing platform for young researchers, with a particular focus on the environment, resource conservation, management, economic development and natural science.

Participants

The Conference is open to all interested graduates and graduate students at the universities in Nepal to take part actively in its sessions. Some seats are also allocated to undergraduate students as well. The Conference anticipates over 300 participants (online and face to face) including presenters, panelists, volunteers, reviewers, moderators, observers, judges, and guests. The Conference will call for paper, poster and participation from all disciplines that comply with the theme of the Conference and uphold the scientific values and research methods.

Conference Theme for 2025

“Towards Sustainability: Trends in Education, Technologies, and Environmental Convergence for Socio-economic Growth”

Thematic Areas

Biodiversity, ecosystem, and livelihood

• Agriculture and livestock
• Biological invasion and threats to biodiversity
• Ecosystem dynamics and restoration
• Ecotourism in and outside protected areas
• Gender and livelihood
• Plant and animal diversity
• Protected area and people
• Water and wetlands 

Climate change and disaster

• Climate change, global and local, scientific evidence
• Climate change impacts on social, economic and environment
• Climate change adaptation (CbA, EbA, NbS), resilience
• Development and disaster, DRR
• Earthquake, landslide, flood, GLOF, drought, lightning, snow avalanches, epidemics 

Economics and management

• Capacity development/building
• Good governance
• Labor relations and human resource management
• Public administration and small business entrepreneurship
• Public spending
• Social marketing
•  Rural and urban developments 

Law and legal frameworks

Issues in commercial laws

Environmental law and challenges

Cyber security and ICT laws

Energy

• Alternative energy, constraints and opportunities
• Energy, prosperity and infrastructure development
• Energy supply and demand
• Energy diversification and energy use efficiencies 

Health and Medical Science

• Disease and health
• Occupational health
• Public health and environmental pollution

Indigenous knowledge and technologies

• Biotechnology and food technology
• Electrical, electronics and computer/information technology
• Indigenous and traditional knowledge
• Innovative technologies for industry, health, household and companies
• Nanotechnology
• AI technologies 

Pollution and control measures

• Air, surface water and land pollution
• Ground water pollution and control
• Remedies and pollution control technology
• Waste management

Social sciences

• Anthropology and history
• Gender and ethnicity
• Journalism
• Law and political science
• Psychology

Education

• Digital Pedagogy
• Curriculum development
• Online education
• Distance learning & challenges
• Contemporary problem of education

Registration fee

Online

NPR 300 (Participant)
NPR 500 (Presenter)

Physical

NPR 1500 (Participants)
NPR 2500 (Poster Paper Presenter)
NPR 3000 (Oral Paper Presenter)

Institutional

NPR 30000 (3 participants)
NPR 45000 (5 participants)
NPR 90000 (10 Participants)

Bank details for registration

Nepal Open University

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Important Dates

Abstract submission deadline: Chaitra 5, 2081 (18 March 2025)
Selection and notification: Chaitra 12, 2081 (21 March)
Registration deadline: Chaitra 15, 2081 (28 March)
Poster and PowerPoint presentation submission: Chaitra 18, 2080 (31 March)

Advisory Committee

• Er Ganesh Shah, Former Minister
• Secretary- MOEST
• Dr. Kedar P. Rijal, Registrar, TU
• Dinesh Raj Bhuju. Chair, RHF
• Dean-Tribhuvan University
• Dean- Kathmandu University
• Dean- Mid West University
• Dean- Far Western University
• Dean, Lumbini Buddist University
• Dean- Agriculture and Forestry University
• Representative, University Grant Commission
• Dr. Uddab Raj Khadka, HOD, CDES-TU
• Kanchan Mani Dixit, Executive Director, ISET-Nepal

Organizing Committee

Patron

Prof. Dr. Shilu Manandhar Bajracharya, Vice Chancellor, NOU

Convener

Prof. Dr. Govinda Singh Bista, Registrar

Conference Coordinator

Dr. Surendra Shrestha, Dean, FOSHT, NOU

Members

• Dean, Dr. Arhan Sthapit, FOML, NOU
• Dean, Dr. Khagendra Prasai, FOSSED, NOU
• Executive Director, Dr. Gauri Shankar Bhandari, RHF
• Deputy Executive Director, Anustha Shrestha, ISET-N
• Coordinator of Scientific Committee, Prof. Dr. Chhatra Mani Sharma, CDES
• Naresh Kumar Maharjan, Legal Advisor, NOU
• Coordinator of Management Committee, Dr. Ramji Bogati, NOU

Scientific Committee

• Dr. Chhatra Mani Sharma, CDES-TU, Coordinator
• Ramesh Sapkota, CDES-TU
• Hari Dhungana, NOU
• Gyan Bdr Tamang, NOU
• Jiban Khadka, NOU
• Bhoj Raj Ghimire, NOU
• Jeevan Khanal, NOU
• Sanjeev Humagai, NOU
• Yadav P. Joshi, NOU
• Bhim P. Bhusal, NOU
• Ruma Manandhar, NOU
• Tilak P. Lamsal, NOU
• Usha Acharya, NOU
• Anila Jha, NOU
• Naresh Kumar Maharjan, NOU- Member Secretary

Management Committee

• Ramji Bogati, NOU, Coordinator
• Khem Raj Joshi, NOU
• Laxman KC, NOU
• Satya Ram Suwal, NOU
• Satya Bdr Maharjan, NOU
• Nani Ram Sapkota, NOU
• Sanjaya Khatiwada, NOU
• Nirmala Subedi, NOU
• Puja Neupane, Admin Officer, NOU
• Bindu Pandey, Finance, NOU- Member Secretary

Management Sub-Committee

1. Ubash Yadav, NOU, IT Coordinator
2. Devendra Katuwal, NOU
3. Sunita Acharya, NOU
4. Dipendra Kumar Chaudari, NOU
5. Sushil Paudel, NOU
6. Mohan P. Bhandari, NOU
7. Shree Devi Dhanuk, NOU
8. Sanjaya Maharjan, NOU, Member Secretary

Secretariat

Nepal Open University
Faculty of Science, Health and Technology
Manbhawan, Lalitpur
Email: hkc@nou.edu.np
Phone- (O) 01 591 3950 (M) 98630 20984

Annex I. Conference at a glance

Annex II. No. of Participants of the last four years