Kathmandu:

Eight students from the University of North Texas, including three Nepali students currently studying in the campus are on a educational trip to Nepal for three weeks. Vivek Thapa one of the co-ordinators of the programme said, “I had taken some pictures in Chitwan for my Masters research, Miguel Acavedo, was quite impressed and thought that we should go there for further research. And that is how the idea came about.” The idea materialised and Acavedo, Biological and Environmental Engineering Programme and Department of Geography, UNT, Course Instructor along with Jose Raventos, Department of Ecology, Universidas de Alicante, Spain are here accompanying and guiding the students.

They have visited places like Dhulikhel, Chitwan National Park, Pokhara, Ghandruk, Malekhu, TU, KU and Tri-Chandra Campus. Acavedo said, “It was amazing to see the close interaction that people have with the environment and how they have been able to sustain making use of natural resources and recycling them.” Seeing the diversity and flora and fauna the country has to offer he feels that it would be a great place for research programmes and further develop student exchange programmes between the two countries. Raventos was much impressed by the friendliness and hospitality shown by Nepalis and felt like this is home especially in Ghandruk where Aama Samuha gave them a warm welcome.

Rajan Rijal, who is also co-ordinating the programme elaborated on the topics they had delved into such as physical geography, cultural aspects, climate, water and air pollution, hydrology, conservation areas, grassland ecology to name a few. The team was helped by around 25 faculty members from TU and KU, especially Sanjay Khanal from KU and Tej Bahadur Thapa fro TU. while Kul P Limbu from Biratnagar College and Alankar Kafle from College of Applied Science assisted them throughout the trip.

“This is a unique way of exposing Nepal to the world as a country rich in bio-diversity and culture too,” said Thapa. — HNS