• TU should make students competitive in order to contribute to nation building

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that universities should be developed as schools for life science instead of institutions merely to teach theories.

Addressing the 44th convocation ceremony of Tribhuvan University (TU) today, the PM said universities should adapt education to ensure realisation in the practical life of students. The PM was against the idea of developing varsities only as reading institutions.

The prime minister, also the Chancellor of TU, said, “We could even see university graduates failing in the basic steps of their life leading to a pathetic life. Universities’ attention should be focused on producing exemplary and role model graduates for their families and societies.”

Universities should produce students for the greater good of society and those students can advance the society towards modernity, the PM added.

“We need to first specify the need for categories and numbers of human resources to meet our development target. And then we can determine where to establish which college and the subjects to teach there,” according to the PM.

On the occasion, the PM expressed his views on accessibility of education to people of all classes and communities by ending inequalities.

Likewise, the PM said that TU should pay attention to producing competitive and outstanding graduates to fit in the global market.

In his speech at the ceremony, Professor of South Asian Economics at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, Mahendra P Lama stressed that TU should provide practical education. TU should give priority to education out of the classroom as external education is more practical than classroom education, he shared.

Similarly, Minister of Education, Science and Technology and Pro-chancellor of TU, Girirajmani Pokharel, underscored the need to develop TU as the centre of excellence by promoting it as a research-based organisation.

Education Minister Pokharel said that TU should make its identity across the world to prove itself as a capable institution.

He said, “TU should make students competitive in the world in order to contribute to the nation building campaign by facing challenges that surface in the changing context.”

Likewise, Vice-chancellor of TU, Prof Tirtharaj Khaniya, said TU should be made a national university, adding that TU would take technical education ahead with high priority.

Out of 74,282 students, who obtained their transcripts from 1 June 2017 to 14 June 2018, altogether 9,504 students graduated. Of them, 6,309 students participated in the convocation ceremony.

On the occasion, Prime Minister and TU Chancellor Oli distributed 31 medals and prizes to top students of different faculties.