With the shared objective of transforming Nepal into a destination for international education, ensuring quality education, promoting the internationalization of higher education, establishing Nepal as an international education destination, and effectively advancing the 'Study in Nepal' campaign, the Educational Consultancy Association of Nepal (ECAN) and the International Education Providers Association of Nepal (IEPAN) signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today.
The Educational Consultancy Association of Nepal (ECAN) is Nepal's largest and leading umbrella organization in the educational consultancy sector, with more than three decades of service. ECAN has helped thousands of Nepali students gain access to renowned educational institutions around the world while promoting safe, transparent, ethical, and quality educational counseling services. The association has also played a leading role in policy advocacy, capacity building, professional ethics, and international collaboration to ensure that the educational consultancy profession remains organized, professional, and accountable.
Similarly, the International Education Providers Association of Nepal (IEPAN) is a common platform representing higher education institutions in Nepal that offer internationally affiliated academic programs with approval from the Ministry of Education. Established with the vision of making quality international education accessible within Nepal and gradually positioning the country as a destination for international education, IEPAN has been working to enhance educational quality, promote research and innovation, and strengthen international academic collaboration.
The two organizations believe that this agreement will further strengthen, organize, and enhance the credibility of Nepal's international education sector by institutionalizing long-term collaboration, coordination, and mutual trust between educational consultancies and internationally affiliated higher education institutions.
Under the MoU, ECAN member institutions will gain direct access to information on academic programs, study opportunities, admission procedures, eligibility criteria, scholarships, career prospects, and other educational resources offered by IEPAN member colleges and institutions. This is expected to enable educational consultancies to provide students and parents with more accurate, updated, and quality educational guidance. Both organizations have also reaffirmed their commitment to promoting a professional, transparent, ethical, and responsible working environment while making institutional collaboration more effective.
A key aspect of the agreement is the joint promotion of the 'Study in Nepal' campaign. Through this partnership, both organizations will collaborate to establish Nepal as an attractive destination for international students while strengthening international student recruitment, educational branding, research, global partnerships, and academic diplomacy. The campaign aims to promote Nepal's higher education system internationally and connect global students, researchers, and academic partners with Nepal.
Furthermore, ECAN and IEPAN will jointly organize capacity-building programs, interaction sessions, educational orientation programs, research initiatives, policy dialogues, B2B networking events, international education conferences, and various national and international promotional activities under the 'Study in Nepal' campaign. These initiatives are expected to strengthen coordination, collaboration, and information sharing among institutions involved in the education sector.
The two organizations have also agreed to work together on various Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. As part of this collaboration, they will jointly implement programs to improve access to education and provide scholarships and special educational opportunities at IEPAN member institutions for financially disadvantaged, deserving, talented, and underprivileged students.
Through this strategic partnership, both organizations will work together to provide students, parents, and stakeholders with accurate, reliable, and up-to-date information on international higher education, strengthen Nepal's educational counseling system, expand access to international academic opportunities, and enhance the global recognition of Nepal's education sector.
During the MoU signing ceremony, the leadership of both organizations expressed confidence that this collaboration would make Nepal's international education sector more organized, competitive, credible, and student-friendly. They also reaffirmed their commitment to expanding collaboration with the government, universities, the private sector, and international partners to advance the 'Study in Nepal' campaign as a national initiative.
