Fiscal Nepal
First Business News Portal in English from Nepal
Nepal Open University NAS IT
KATHMANDU: Nepal is set to introduce a new model of higher education that will allow students to begin working in information technology (IT) companies from the first year of their bachelor’s studies, a move aimed at narrowing the long-standing gap between academic learning and industry requirements.
The initiative, called the Industry-Integrated Degree (IID) programme, will be jointly implemented by Nepal Open University (NOU) and the Nepal Association for Software and IT Services Companies (NAS-IT). Under the partnership, students will combine academic study with paid industry experience throughout their four-year undergraduate programme.
The programme marks one of Nepal’s most significant attempts to reform IT education by integrating classroom instruction with real-world employment from the beginning of university studies.
According to Dr. Bhojraj Ghimire, Project Dean of the Industry-Integrated Degree Programme and Acting Dean of the Faculty of Science, Health and Technology at Nepal Open University, students admitted to the programme will immediately be placed as trainees in IT companies affiliated with NAS-IT.
They will work in technology companies during the day while attending university classes online after 6:00 p.m., allowing them to gain professional experience alongside academic qualifications.
The programme will initially begin as a pilot with 40 students, who will be placed across NAS-IT’s network of 84 member IT companies.
Dr. Ghimire said the objective is to ensure graduates enter the labour market with both a bachelor’s degree and several years of practical industry experience.
“We want students to graduate not only with a certificate but also with four years of real work experience. By the time they complete their degree, they should already be industry-ready professionals,” he said.
Unlike conventional university programmes, students enrolled in the Industry-Integrated Degree will receive income while studying.
Officials say the earnings can help students finance their education, reducing dependence on family support and student loans.
The programme aims to produce graduates capable of earning between Rs70,000 and Rs100,000 per month by the time they complete their studies.
Programme organisers estimate that completing the four-year bachelor’s degree will cost students between Rs500,000 and Rs800,000, substantially lower than similar IT programmes offered by many private colleges, where tuition often ranges from Rs1.2 million to Rs2.2 million.
Dr. Ghimire said preparations for the programme have been underway for the past three months, with work currently focused on developing a new curriculum tailored to the needs of Nepal’s rapidly evolving technology sector.
A dedicated curriculum task force has been formed with representatives from the Ministry of Education, Nepal Open University, technology industry experts and university professors.
The curriculum is being designed through continuous consultations with chief executives, senior IT professionals and academic experts.
According to Dr. Ghimire, more than 40 industry specialists have identified five high-demand technology specialisations that will form the core of the programme:
These fields were selected because they represent some of the fastest-growing segments of the global digital economy and are increasingly in demand among international employers.
Large Nepali IT companies are now developing software not only for domestic clients but also for overseas markets. The programme is therefore designed to prepare graduates capable of competing internationally while remaining based in Nepal.
Dr. Ghimire believes students who develop expertise in at least one of these five areas will be able to build successful careers without needing to leave the country.
“Students should be able to stay in Nepal and build software for the global market. This programme is intended to give them that confidence,” he said.
The initiative reflects growing concern within Nepal’s technology sector that university graduates often lack the practical skills required by employers.
While Nepal currently offers numerous bachelor’s degrees in computer engineering, information technology and related disciplines, industry representatives argue that many graduates require months of additional training before becoming productive employees.
According to Dr. Ghimire, universities have traditionally focused on theoretical education while providing limited opportunities for practical learning.
“There remains a significant gap between what universities teach and what the IT industry actually needs,” he said.
The Industry-Integrated Degree seeks to address that disconnect by embedding students within companies throughout their education.
The concept also aligns with the government’s broader efforts to expand professional and technical education beyond diploma-level programmes.
While Nepal has long offered vocational education at certificate and diploma levels, policymakers have increasingly recognised the need to introduce work-integrated bachelor’s programmes that combine higher education with professional training.
NAS-IT President Gaurav Raj Pandey said Nepal produces an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 IT graduates every year, but many fail to meet industry expectations.
As a result, companies must invest heavily in additional training before newly hired graduates can contribute effectively.
According to Pandey, many students complain that companies fail to offer them jobs after internships, but employers often find that they lack the practical competencies required.
“Many students come for internships and complain that companies don’t hire them. But during interviews, they are simply not ready for professional work,” he said.
Even graduates who are eventually recruited typically require six to nine months of additional training, creating substantial costs for employers.
Pandey estimated that training approximately 200 graduates over that period could cost companies nearly Rs9 million, an expense many private firms struggle to absorb.
He noted that despite students paying between Rs1.4 million and Rs2.2 million for some private IT programmes, many graduates still lack the skills needed even for entry-level positions paying around Rs30,000 per month.
Industry leaders also emphasised that rapid technological advances—particularly in artificial intelligence—have widened the gap between university curricula and industry requirements.
Pandey said technology is evolving so quickly that skills learned in classrooms can become outdated within months.
He pointed to the growing influence of AI, which is fundamentally reshaping software development worldwide.
“AI is transforming software engineering. Much of the software developed over the past four decades now needs to be rewritten to work effectively with AI systems and AI agents,” he said.
Future software products, he added, will increasingly be designed to interact seamlessly with AI technologies, requiring developers to possess new technical capabilities that traditional university programmes often do not yet provide.
Nepal Open University aims to formally launch the Industry-Integrated Degree programme by September. If administrative and regulatory procedures are delayed, the university plans to begin admissions in February instead.
Applications will be invited through social media platforms and other digital channels once admissions officially open.
Education and industry leaders believe the programme could become a model for work-integrated higher education in Nepal by producing graduates who are academically qualified, professionally experienced and immediately employable in one of the country’s fastest-growing export-oriented industries.
If successful, the initiative could also strengthen Nepal’s position as an emerging regional destination for software development and digital services by creating a larger pool of globally competitive IT professionals.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name *
Email *
Website
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
