Interaction Program between the Vice Chancellor and the Scholarship recipients held.

An interaction program between the Vice chancellor and the scholarship recipients was organized at Kathmandu University on December 1, 2023. The event featured the Vice Chancellor engaging with scholars who secured the KU-UG Academic Scholarship, Geomatics Engineering LMTC Scholarship and the recipients of the scholarships associated with the Endowment Funds at the university. The event also saw the presence of Deans and Heads of Departments from the School of Engineering, School of Science, and the Department of Management Informatics.

The Associate Director of the Admissions, Equivalence, Scholarship and Alumni, Mr. Brajesh Mishra shed light on the comprehensive nature of the KU-UG Academic Scholarship. Mishra emphasized that the financial burden of the scholarship is collectively borne by different stakeholders, underlining the collaborative responsibility of the scholarship recipients to be accountable towards the society and university, urging them to actively contribute to the academic and societal betterment. He noted that scholarships not only ease the financial burden on students but also serve as a powerful promotional tool for the university, attracting top talents.

Currently active in six schools, the KU-UG Academic scholarship initiative has been started in the School of Science and School of Engineering, with plans for expansion in the future. The scholarship program covers 10% of the seats allocated in the respective schools, with a tiered approach. The student securing the top position in the entrance exam is awarded a 75% scholarship, followed by 50% for the second position, and 25% for the third position. The scholarship is designed to persist for four years, contingent on students maintaining a minimum GPA and adhering to the specified disciplinary requirements outlined in the university's code of conduct. The student concurrently receiving another scholarship from the university would be deemed ineligible for the KU-UG Academic Scholarship.

Also, speaking at the event, the Associate Dean of the School of Engineering, Mr. Brijesh Adhikary, shed light to KU’s endowment scholarships. He highlighted a significant achievement, noting that the university has successfully established scholarship endowment funds totaling approximately NPR 21 Crores. Mr. Adhikary underscored the crucial role of Kathmandu University's endowment fund initiatives, emphasizing their significance in ensuring long-term financial stability and facilitating financial assistance to students and faculty members. These funds also play a vital role in advancing research projects, supporting facility maintenance, and fostering overall development.

During the event, Mr. Adhikary announced the initiation of two new scholarships: the Toya Nath Adhikary and Parvati Adhikary Scholarship, and the Bishwo Nath Adhikary and Nanda Kumari Adhikary Scholarship. The Toya Nath Adhikary and Nanda Kumari Adhikary endowment fund offers an annual scholarship of Rs. 50,000, which was awarded to Ms. Pratima Deuja at the School of Engineering. Similarly, the Bishwo Nath Adhikary and Nanda Kumari Adhikary Scholarship were jointly bestowed upon Ms. Karuna Khanal (School of Engineering) and Ms. Rajani KC (School of Science). These deserving recipients will receive an annual scholarship worth Rs. 25,000 each. In addition to this, Bhupendra Bahadur Thapa Memorial Scholarship for this year was awarded to Ms. Abhilasha Shrestha of the School of Science.

During the event, Prof. Dr. Manish Pokhrel, Dean, School of Engineering and Prof. Dr. Janardan Lamichhane, Dean, School of Science announced the names of the Scholarship awardees from their respective schools.

In his concluding statements, the Vice Chancellor of Kathmandu University (KU), Prof. Dr. Bhola Thapa extended heartfelt congratulations to all the scholarship recipients. Acknowledging the collective achievement, he expressed a commitment to continuous efforts in expanding scholarship opportunities, ensuring that students can focus on their studies without the burden of financial constraints. He highlighted the students as primary stakeholders of the university and the need to sensitize the Nepali society about the availability of different scholarship opportunities at KU. Offering advice to scholars, he likened receiving a scholarship to achieving good grades, emphasizing the long-term benefits for their career paths. Encouraging volunteer work, he urged students to engage in professional activities as a means of expanding their learning beyond the conventional course curriculum and to take up ambassadorial roles, positioning themselves as the representatives of the university. He emphasized that scholarship providers take pride in the success of their recipients, and in turn, the institution shares in that pride when students reach their professional goals.

The Vice Chancellor also highlighted the initiatives of Kathmandu University in expanding scholarships and fellowship opportunities to students at Kathmandu University through Collaborations with different prestigious academic institutions, he provided an example of KU’s partnership with IIT Hyderabad, through which some of the students at the School of Engineering secured a chance to engage three-month paid scholarship opportunity at IIT.