Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu:

Book and education fairs have become a rage now as the public pick up on the idea. This year the eighth Nepal Education and Book Fair, organised by Global Exposition and Management Services (GEMS), is scheduled to start on May 22 and end on May 29. The fair will take place at Bhrikuti Mandap Exhibition Hall. Organised in cooperation with National Booksellers and Publishers Association of Nepal and sponsored by Padmashree Group of Institutions.

Arguably a national mega event on education and career, the fair will be a Mecca for book-lovers and the ultimate get-together for publishers. Besides books, you can receive advice on what career might be the best for you or what course you should pursue to further your education. Designed for students, this education and career section in the Hall A ends on May 25 while the book fair in Hall B ends on till May 29.

The main objective of the event is to assemble career-driven students, educational institutions, overseas education centres and consultants, training institutes, schools, colleges, publishing houses, NGOs and INGOs under one roof. The fair has experienced a steady growth in the number of participants since 1997 when only 47 educational institutions were involved and only 25,000 visitors showed up. Since then, it has come a long way with 155 participants in 2004 and an estimated 65,000 visitors.

The increasing number of publishers and a separate section for them at the event is also expected to generate greater enthusiasm within the publishing industry of Nepal. Yogesh Chhetri, executive at Global Expostion says, “The fair receives tremendous response every year. I think it offers the advantage of bringing together academicians, counsellors and prospective students. This is its selling point and the reason why we are still going strong in the eighth successive year.”

The event today is something students anticipate because they are preoccupied with exploring new opportunities and avenues for studies. Every year, thousands of students are looking for educational prospects abroad and they experience the problem of plenty — too many choices, too many educational institutions. Unfortunately, they are not aware of the values, scope, recognition, the institutes’ accreditation and career opportunitites that the course offers. Many end up making the wrong choice. Chhetri says, the event will help students make the right choice by familiarising them with recognised institutions, career guidance and free counseling.

Besides the exhibition, talk programmes, workshops, demonstrations and various educational programmes too will be organised. The event will facilitate a platform to publishers, booksellers, printers, authors, illustrators, distributors, students, career aspirants and institutes, which impart trainings to showcase themselves in an interactive environment. Talk programmes, educational programmes such as quiz contests, extempore speech contests and on the spot painting competitions will also be organised to the cater to diverse interests.

The fair will also be banking on many contests and competitions and discounts on a large collection of academic and general books to draw the crowds and inculcate reading habits among people. The exhibition hall will also have facilities like information counter, meeting room, communication centre, cafeteria and a technical service department. Moreover, it will be a venue to share experiences and interact.