Hollowing out

Nepali universities must convince students that the courses they offer are worth pursuing.

The once bustling universities of Nepal are now emptying. Because of the shortage of students, they are struggling to fill the required seats, and thus considering closure of several programmes or opting for college mergers. The priority of students has clearly shifted to foreign universities, with 122,000 students receiving No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to study abroad in 2022, while around 13,000 more went to India. The number is nearly one-fourth of the total number of university students studying in the country ( 441,819 ). Time has come to explore creative ways to retain them—or our universities risk an irreversible decline.