Kathmandu, March 2

Kathmandu University is all set to organise Habitat Innovation Conclave, 2023 on March 17 with the involvement of participants from across the globe.

"HIC 2023 will provide a platform to graduated students for exchanging and sharing cutting-edge developments and research in energy, science and engineering," said Bhim Prashad Shrestha. "It facilitates and enhances connections between academia, industry and stakeholders in the field of energy, science and engineering, and establishes scholarly research culture among graduated students for innovative ideas and research explorations," Shrestha added.

"Organised with the aim of rethinking the way we live through innovative habitats, Habitat Innovation Conclave is a platform for new-age innovators who think about solving existing problems with a new approach," Shrestha elaborated.

The motto of the programme is, 'Innovation and Sustainability: The Keys to our future Habitats.' The Energy Efficient Building Design 2021 Batch and The Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU have come together to highlight the importance of energy efficiency habitat.

Talking to THT, Prof Bhim Prashad Shrestha of Kathmandu University said, "The Habitat Innovation Conclave is an initiative for creating new beginnings for energy, habitat and innovation." He further said this was going to be highly beneficial for a developing country like Nepal.

Various stakeholders from all over the world will be sharing ideas on the topic. The major thematic areas of the Conclave include Innovative Building Materials, Building Codes Policies and Standards, Planning Design and Retrofitting with Emerging Technologies, Water and Sanitation, Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Women in Engineering and Habitat, among others.

Throughout the Conclave, they will be engaged in product demonstrations, product simulations, paper presentations and panel discussions. The panel discussions include various speakers, including Deputy Director Roshan Raj Shrestha of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Deputy Chief of NEEP Narayan Chaulagain, President of NSET Amod Mani Dixit, Programme Manager of UN Habitat Pragya Pradhan, and Programme Director of Minergy Suyash Prajapati.

Energy-efficient building design refers to the practice of designing buildings that consume minimal energy to maintain a comfortable indoor environment. This involves the use of a variety of techniques to reduce energy consumption, including the use of efficient lighting, HVAC systems, and insulation.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 3, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.