KATHMANDU:- Visiting UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Indo-Pacific and Minister for Equalities, Seema Malhotra, has said the British government was willing to expand collaboration with Nepal in the sector of technical education. 

Malhotra, who is currently in a 3-day Nepal visit, said it during a high-level discussion organized by the Nepal-Britain Chamber of Commerce and Industries in the federal capital today. She was speaking on ‘British education partnership for Nepal’.

The collaboration would further deepen Nepal-Britain ties, she said, arguing that expansion of educational access and employment could be promoted to link education with economy. “We’re thinking how youths can be linked to entrepreneurship and industry through education,” she said, reminding, “The number of colleges getting British university affiliation and Nepali students in the colleges in Britain reflect educational collaboration and ties between the two countries.”

She further showed readiness of her government to work together on educational priorities aligning them with Nepal government’s plan.

On the occasion, British Ambassador to Nepal, Rob Fenn informed that the visiting British Minister held talks to Nepal’s dignitaries including Education Minister on topics of sustainable investment.

Joint Secretary at Ministry of Education and Sports, Chandrakant Bhusal, informed that Nepal government was also willing to establish collaboration on the issues of diversity, equitable inclusion, technical education and good governance.

Former Member Secretary at CTEVT, Dr Ramhari Lamichhane, said Nepal is in need of establishment of ‘sector skill council’ and research-oriented higher education.

Director General of the Federation of Nepal Educational Consultancies, Dr Uddhav Khadka, informed that as many as 23,000 Nepalis had gone to the UK for higher study in the last fiscal year alone.

Various other speakers dwelt on range of issues on Nepal-Britain educational collaboration.