Tribhuvan University's Centre for Economic Development and Administration (CEDA) has completed an Inception Workshop for its research study titled "Student Outmigration from Nepal: Drivers and Policy Response." The study is funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
The research will look closely at why Nepali students want to study abroad and what pulls them toward foreign countries. To do this, researchers will study and talk with students at the higher-secondary and university levels, their parents, and other stakeholders. Based on this, the study will give policy suggestions to the Government of Nepal.
Those involved in the research from CEDA's side include Executive Director Prof. Dr. Arjun Kumar Baral and Dr. Ram Kumar Phuyal. Also involved are Prof. Dr. Rishi Ram Kattel, the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of the Agriculture and Forestry University, and Navin Adhikari, Associate Professor at the Central Department of Economics.
During a short presentation at the workshop, CEDA's Executive Director Prof. Dr. Arjun Kumar Baral said that many Nepali students are currently going abroad to study in various countries. He said the study will collect government data, conduct independent research, and hold discussions with stakeholders and experts to understand the economic, social, political, administrative, and technical reasons behind this trend and will use these findings to give factual suggestions to the government.
Researchers Dr. Ram Kumar Phuyal and Navin Adhikari also said that to make the research practical, scientific, and fact-based, they will have students and parents fill out questionnaires.
To make the research even more detailed, several experts gave suggestions. These included former Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Shiva Lal Bhusal, Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Dr. Khom Raj Kharel, former Assistant Dean Prof. Dr. Tara Prasad Bhusal, Head of the Central Department of Geography Prof. Dr. Umesh Kumar Mandal, and Head of the Central Department of Rural Development Studies Dr. Suman Kharel. Their suggestions covered topics like the experiences of students who have already gone abroad, the curriculum and exam systems of existing educational institutions in Nepal, the employment situation, family pressure, changing social culture, and the psychological and social condition of youth.
