The Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC) and the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) jointly conducted the Regional Program on Industry-Institute Linkages in TVET at the Hotel Manang in Kathmandu, Nepal from January 15 to 19, 2025. The program was participated by 15 TVET institute managers, professors, and teachers from Bhutan, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
The five-day program aimed to foster meaningful partnerships between TVET institutions and industries through equipping the participants with frameworks for institute-industry collaboration, adapting to the demands of the industrial landscape, integrating futuristic skills and innovative teaching methodologies in TVET institutions, and enhancing continuous learning and innovation. Following these objectives, the participants were expected to engage with producing strategies for enhancing industry-institute linkages and develop best practices in establishing sustainable partnerships.
The overall program was jointly supervised by CPSC Director General Prof. Dr. Suresh Kumar Dhameja, and CTEVT Member Secretary Er. Mahesh Bhattarai. Meanwhile, Dr. Niraj Bala, Professor and Head of Entrepreneurship Development and Industrial Coordination Department at the National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR), Chandigarh; and Mr. Nalaram Devkota, CTEVT Director for Technical Division served as the Program Coordinator and Local Program Coordinator, respectively.
During the program inauguration, Mr. Devkota extended a warm welcome to the delegates from the member countries as well as the esteemed guests. The traditional lighting of the oil lamp which symbolically brings light, wisdom, and knowledge to the participants throughout the program formally opened the program. Following this, Prof. Dr. Dhameja; Dr. Baikuntha Aryal, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST); and Er. Bhattarai delivered their respective opening remarks.
The inauguration was further graced by the presence of several distinguished dignitaries. Among the special guests were Dr. Dipak Kaphle, Secretary of MEST; Hon. Gita Kumari Paudyal Adhikari, Member of the National Planning Commission; and Prof. Dr. Shiva Raj Adhikari, Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission, who was honored as the Chief Guest.
The five-day training program proceeded with a series of lectures, workshops and theme paper presentations. These sessions were facilitated by Dr. Bala; Prof. Dr. Pramod Shrestha, former Professor and Head at the Tribhuvan University, Nepal; and Mr. Birendra Raj Pandey, Vice-President in Confederation of Nepalese Industries and Managing Director of Nepal Adarsha Nirman Company. A special lecture was also delivered by Prof. Dr. Dhameja, in which he discussed the topic of “Industry-Institute Linkages for Better Employability and Self-Employability.”
To supplement the sessions, the participants visited the Goldstar Shoes Factory in Kathmandu, Nepal, wherein they explored the shoemaking process. They also toured the Pashupatinath Temple, located along the bank of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu. The temple is renowned for being a World Heritage Site in 1979.
CPSC and CTEVT also organized the International Conference on “Academia-Industry Collaboration” as part of the training program. The conference was inaugurated by Mr. Devkota, Prof. Dr. Dhameja and Er. Bhattarai, who delivered their welcome remarks. A keynote speech was presented by Prof. Dr. Shreshta, followed by the presentations from the conference speakers: Er. Bhattarai, Prof. Dr. Dhameja, Mr. Basanta Kumar Karki, Senior Programme Officer at the International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Office for Nepal; and Dr. Ramhari Lamichhane, Skills and Innovation Management Expert.
The program participants and organizers pose for a picture after the International Conference
On the last day of the program, the participants presented the action plans they developed during the workshops. Afterwards, during the closing ceremony, selected participants shared their training experiences and insights from the five-day program. Mr. Devkota expressed his gratitude to the program organizers and participants for their invaluable contributions. Likewise, Prof. Dr. Dhameja thanked CPSC and CTEVT for the productive collaboration, and also highlighted the key objectives that were achieved during the training program. The ceremony concluded with closing remarks from Er. Bhattarai and Prof. Dr. Om Prasad Baral, CTEVT Vice Chairperson, marking the successful implementation of the Regional Program in Nepal.
