Kirtipur, October 6, 2005

Nearly three years after the establishment of an International Hostel in the university’s central campus at Kirtipur, the Tribhuvan University has recently fixed the fees for foreign students willing to stay in the hostel. Currently, only two foreign students are staying in the 16-room hostel, which can accommodate 32 students. “A maximum of $65 to a minimum of $40 per month, depending upon the facilities offered, has been fixed for students from abroad seeking the university’s accommodation,” said Dr Chandra Lal Shrestha, executive director of the Centre for International Relations of the university. “The TU has just fixed the fees for the foreign students who want to stay in the hostel so that the resource generated can be utilised for the maintenance of the hostel as well as for introducing new facilities, which would attract more foreign students,” said Dr Shrestha. “This will end the confusion as most of the students have been staying in the hostel free of cost based on recommendations from the Education Ministry,” he said. “We will circulate the notice after Dashain to all departments, constituent campuses and research centres affiliated to the university so that the foreign students could apply for the hostel facility,” Shrestha said.

Non-resident Nepalis gather in Kathmandu

Kathmandu, October 6, 2005

The second global non-resident Nepali (NRN) conference is starting in the capital from Friday. Crown Prince Paras is scheduled to inaugurate the conference at Birendra International Convention Centre. Finance minister Madhukar SJB Rana assured that NRNs with innovative ideas can make investment in lucrative sectors in the country. “The government is committed to make investment-friendly policies and look for technical know-how and skills that NRNs have gathered abroad,” he said. Speaking on the occasion, Chandi Raj Dhakal, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) said that the conference is being held with a view of giving continuity to the agendas endorsed by the first NRN Conference, in Kathmandu from October 11-14, 2003. He also informed that the NRN-ICC network has expanded to over 40 countries and the 15 country chapters have been formed so far. “Networking and awareness about NRN has increased significantly in the last two years following the first NRN conference,” said Dhakal. About 500 NRN representatives from 40 different countries are taking part in the three-day long conference being organised under the joint auspices of the government, FNCCI, NRN International Coordination Committee and supported by many other private organisations. However, members of NRNICC and other participants of the conference have expressed dissatisfaction over the recently approved NRN Act 2005.