As Nepali students continue to fly abroad in hopes of pursuing a better education, colleges in Nepal have attempted to deal with this practice on their own terms, seeking affiliations from foreign colleges and promising a foreign degree from Nepal itself. Since the very first foreign affiliation was granted in 1993 to now, around five dozen others have obtained such affiliations and now offer international degrees to thousands of students from Nepal itself and at relatively affordable fees. Though all such colleges might hold the standards that students expect, many have made a name for themselves by providing quality education. The Post spoke to the managers of some of these colleges to learn more about what they offer to their students.

Ashish Tiwari

Director, Ace International Business School

Ace Institute of Management has a history of over 18 years, focused on business and management education. Our partnership with a foreign university, however, began in 2015. We currently offer afour-year Bachelors in Business Administration and a two-years Masters in Business Administration in collaboration with Queen Margaret University (QMU) from Edinburgh, UK. In partnership with QMU, we offer academic programmes that prepare students to embark on their journey into entrepreneurship, a professional career and take up leadership positions, not just in Nepal but anywhere in the world. We also believe in innovative teaching and learning methods that instill practical skills along with theoretical knowledge in students.

Rajen Kandel

Chief Executive Officer, The British College

The British College offers degrees in affiliations with universities from the United Kingdom that have an almost two-century long history. Students are able topursue undergraduate and postgraduate programmes that are awarded by the University of the West of England and Leeds Beckett University, both of which fall in the 600 to 800 top ranked varsities in the world. We equip our graduates with the knowledge, skills and values they need for success in the global job market and to become creative entrepreneurs. We offer four programmes under business and two under Information technology, all of which are relevant to the current job market, enhancing employability.

Sandeepa Bashnyat

Director, Silver Mountain School of Hotel Management

Nepal has great potential in the tourism and hospitality industry, but it needs qualified human resource to drive the sector. Silver Mountain School of Hotel Management was established to generate educated and skilled world-class human resource who can take the country’s hospitality industry to new heights. Affiliated with Queen Margaret University in the UK, we have been offering four-year degrees in International Hospitality and Tourism Management since 2002. We have a distinct model of teaching, strong research performance and a leading reputation for engagement with industry experts. Along with the international degree, our students get internship opportunities at the best hotels, nationally and internationally.

Laxman KC

Executive Director, Presidential Business School

Established in 2011, Presidential Business School is a premier destination for management studies where students can pursue an American degree as we are affiliated with Westclifff University in the US. Our MBA and BBA coursesare designed to promote creativity and managerial skills, rather than just the reproduction of received knowledge. We offer exclusive access to corporate practices and attempt to situate our students in an environment that moulds them into professionals by the time they graduate. Our students have gone on to perform brilliantly at different corporate houses and business enterprises or are running their own enterprises.

Khem Raj Lakai

Chief Executive Officer, GATE College

Global Academy of Tourism & Hospitality Education (GATE) is a school for those who aspire to build their careers in hospitality. We are driven by a passion for delivering quality Swiss education in the country. The college was affiliated with the Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality, which has now been acquired by the Swiss Hotel Association. We are the first hospitality college in Nepal to be certified with ISO 9001:2008, ISO 9001:2015. Today, our graduates are not just managing hotels and restaurants in Nepal but in many countries across the world. This is why we are now receiving enrolments from various Asian and African countries.

Pankaj Jalan

Chairman, Lord Buddha Education Foundation

Patan College of Professional Studies

Founded in 1998, the Lord Buddha Education Foundation (LBEF) is a pioneer in offering international degree given our previous affiliation with Sikkim Manipal University. However, after changes in India’s education policy, we now offer Bachelors and Masters degrees in Business, Management and Information Technology in partnership with Asia Pacific University, Malaysia. Over 7,000 students have graduated from the LBEF Group of Institutions and have established careers as bankers, IT professionals, entrepreneurs, managers, and leaders in their chosen areas of interest. LBEF recently established one more college, Patan College of Professional Study, which offers a UK-degree with affiliation from the University of Bedfordshire, which has over a hundred years of experience as a quality education provider in the UK. Patan College provides different undergraduate and graduate courses under business and computer modules.

Pawan Pokharel

Chief Executive Officer, NAAMI

Naaya Aayam Multi-disciplinary Institute (NAAMI) wasestablished to contribute to the social and economic growth of Nepal through the establishment of a centre for excellence in education. We bring world-class education to Nepal in partnership with the University of Northampton, UK. All our teaching and learning activities are administered by the university itself to ensure that there is no difference in taking the course in the UK or in Nepal. Students enrolled here are also eligible to transfer their credits to the UK after two years and attend the graduation ceremony there. The institute currently provides six programmes under business, computing and science.

Narendra Bajracharya

Chief Executive Officer, International School of Tourism and Hotel Management

International School of Tourism and Hotel Management (IST) was established in the year 2003 with an objective to produce world-class graduates to cater to the overwhelming need for qualified human resource in the hospitality industry. We offer various academic degrees and training packages on par with international standards, in partnership with Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, Austria. Joining IST means embarking on a career in the hospitality industry where one can experience an international academic environment that ensures practical opportunities combined with theoretical knowledge. We believe in excellence in hospitality education where students getan enterprising and stimulating environment to learn and develop their full potential.

Sulav Bhudhathoki

Chairman, Innovate Nepal Group (ING)

Innovate Nepal Group operates five colleges in three different provinces, bringing international degreesto the doorsteps of Nepali students. Established in 1996, Islington College in Kathmandu was the first academic institution in the country to provide undergraduate and post graduate degrees from the UK. ING also operates Herald College in Kathmandu, Itahari International College inItahari, Informatics College in Pokhara, and Merryland College in Biratnagar, all in partnership with London Metropolitan University, which is one of London’s oldest institutions, dating back to 1848. These colleges offer eight different programmes in information technology and business studies. ING is currently the largest academic group providing foreign degrees in Nepal, with around 3,500 enrolments at present. We are most proud of the fact that graduates from our colleges have placement rates of over 98 percent.

Sabindra Maharjan

Chief Executive Officer, IIMS Education Foundation

Established in 2010, the IIMS Education Foundation has been running three independent colleges under the same umbrella foundation—Institute of International Management Science College affiliated with UCSI University, Malaysia; Asian College of Higher Studies College affiliated with Tribhuvan University; and Lincoln International College of Management and IT affiliated with Lincoln University, Malaysia. We thus provide a wide range of educational services through multiple collegesso students are able to choose the degree and course structure that suits their interests and expectations. We aim to impart competitive quality international education to Nepali students right here in Nepal.