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Institute of Forestry | Tribhuvan University

Kirtipur

The Institute of Forestry (IOF) is the first and only institute in Nepal fully committed to education and training in Forestry and Natural Resource Management. It was established as Nepal Forestry Institute in 1947 under the Nepal Government, Department of Forests at Singha Durbar in Kathmandu. The Institute merged into Tribhuvan University in July 1972 under the name “Institute of Forestry”.

Salient Features

Establishment Institute of Forestry (Timeline)

  1. 1947 BS:  Establishment of Nepal Forestry Institute in Singhadurbar, Kathmandu
  2. 1957 BS: Moved to Bhimphedi, Makawanpur
  3. 1965 BS: Moved to Hetauda
  4. 1972 BS: Incorporated to Tribhuvan University; named Institute of Forestry
  5. 1981 BS: Establishment of Pokhara Campus

Chronology of Forestry Academic Programs 

  1. 1947 BS: Establishment of Forestry Training Center 
  2. 1981 BS: Start of Technical Certificate level in Forestry and BSc in Forestry
  3. 2001 BS: Start of MSc forestry program
  4. 2002 BS: Start of MSc Watershed Management, MSc NRMRD programs
  5. 2006 BS: Start of PhD in Forestry programs
  6. 2011 BS: Phase out of TCL in Forestry
  7. 2018 BS: Start of MSc Wildlife Management and Biodiversity Conservation programs
  8. 2019 BS: Start of MSc Community Forestry, MSc Mountain Environment and Development Studies programs. 

About Institute of Forestry | Tribhuvan University

Institute of Forestry offered only a two-year Certificate Level course in Forestry at Hetauda until 1981. Thereafter, in order to meet the demand for trained natural resource managers in Nepal, a two-year Technical Certificate in Forestry (TCF), which is now phased out, was introduced.

The Institute of Forestry (IOF) is Nepal's first institute dedicated to forestry and natural resource management education and training. The Nepal Forestry Institute was founded in 1947 at Singha Durbar in Kathmandu by the Nepal Government's Department of Forests. In July 1972, the Institute of Forestry joined with Tribhuvan University under the name "Institute of Forestry."

Until 1981, the Institute only offered a two-year Certificate Level Forestry education at Hetauda. Following that, a two-year Technical Certificate in Forestry (TCF), which is being phased out, was developed to address the demand for skilled natural resource managers in Nepal. There was also a three-year Bachelor of Science in Forestry (B.Sc. F.) degree, which was expanded to a four-year program in 1995. In 2004, the IOF began providing Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Forestry. Master of Science in Forestry, Master of Science in Natural Resource Management and Rural Development, Master of Science in Watershed Management, Master of Science in Wildlife Management and Biodiversity Conservation, Master of Science in Mountain Environment and Development Studies, and Master of Science in Community Forestry are among the programs currently available. The IOF's Doctoral program is research-based and available to anyone who is interested in any aspect of forestry.

Campuses Under Institute of Forestry

  1. Pokhara Campus
  2. Hetauda Campus
  3. School of Forestry and Natural Resource Management
  4. Kathmandu Forestry College