The Department of Health Informatics (DoHI), School of Engineering at Kathmandu University (KU) and the Society for Health Information Systems Programmes (HISP India) officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on September 16, 2026. The agreement was signed by Professor Dr. Bal Krishna Bal, Dean of the School of Engineering, KU, and Mr. Saurabh Leekha, CEO of HISP India, in the presence of witnesses Mr. Santosh Khanal, Acting Head of the Department of Health Informatics (KU), and Dr. Shirin Saini, Senior Advisor at HISP India.

This MoU establishes a three-year academic and research collaboration focused on advancing digital health and digital public health systems. Through this partnership, both institutions will collaborate to adapt and customize open-source digital health course suites for the Nepalese context, covering areas such as Public Health Informatics, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Disease Control Systems, Digital Health Policies, and Data Science for Public Health. The initiative will also establish a joint steering committee to oversee collaborative field projects, jointly develop research proposals and deliver specialized Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs) and in-service training for healthcare professionals and officials.

Furthermore, the partnership will extend internship opportunities for KU students, facilitate joint research publications, support faculty exchange, and host national and international conferences. This agreement reflects the shared commitment of Kathmandu University and HISP India to strengthen health information systems, drive implementation research, and build local capacity to transform digital healthcare delivery across the region.