Kathmandu – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Tribhuvan University's Central Department of Population Studies (TU CDPS) organized the academic discourse on student migration on 5 July 2024. Supported by the IOM Development Fund, the event gathered key stakeholders from academia, government and civil society to address critical issues in the educational sector impacting Nepal’s development.

The event included comprehensive discussions on the current state of Nepali universities, curriculum development, and the key factors driving students to seek education abroad. Notable speakers highlighted the urgent need to align Nepal’s university courses with global standards, invest in faculty development, and enhance research and innovation within the country's higher education institutions. 

IOM Nepal Head of Migration and Development Department, Prajwal Sharma, stressed the importance of ensuring safe, orderly, and regular migration and informed choices for students. He added that “this academic discourse will support the effective roll-out of the Government of Nepal’s commitments under the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), for which Nepal is a Champion Country”.  

Following Sharma’s remarks, Associate Professor Dr. Padma Prasad Khatiwada presented a technical paper on student migration and the current state of student enrollment in Nepalese universities. Civil society representative Indu Tuladhar then emphasized the constitutional right to freedom of mobility and cautioned against restrictive migration policies. 

The discourse continued with a panel discussion featuring professors from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu University and Columbia University. The panel focused on solutions to retain student enrollment in Nepal by highlighting the importance of building international collaborations to improve education quality, improving Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and leveraging the expertise of students and diaspora communities. In an engaging interactive session, participants identified key next steps. 

These include enhancing student support services, developing comprehensive career guidance programmes, promoting the internationalization of curricula, and adopting a flexible approach to hiring teaching staff. 

Closing the discourse, Prof Alok Bohora from the University of New Mexico emphasized the importance of solution-oriented discussions and innovations to address the multi-dimensional issues in education. He suggested forming a research centre for economic diaspora at the university to study the complexities of migration and development in Nepal. A member of the National Planning Commission, Prof Shiva Raj Adhikari urged universities to establish student counseling centres with the aim of providing students with informed choices on migration.

Overall, the event represented a significant milestone in tackling the challenges and opportunities of student migration in Nepal, while underscoring the role of education as a catalyst for change.

For media inquiries please contact: Prajwal Sharma: psharma@iom.int