A Proposal for

Establishment of Madan Bhandari

Technological University in Nepal

Prepared by
Promotion Committee
Madan Bhandari Technological University

Submitted to
Government of Nepal

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 A Proposal for
Establishment of a Technological University in Nepal
Background
Madan Bhandari Memorial Academy, Nepal (MBMAN) is a leading vocational and Technical
education institution in eastern Nepal, established in 1993 on the memory and honor of Late
Madan Kumar Bhandari, a great visionary communist leader and the Secretary General of
Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist). The MBMAN, not for profit making
organization, is providing skill based vocational trainings and technical education to the
marginalized community who are out of main stream of education, employment and livelihood.
Besides, it is also involved in social mobilization, community development, co-operatives
promotion and advocacy on social issues.
The Academy is purely a community based institution having diversified group of more than 400
people from different segment such as farmers, workers, teachers, doctors, engineers,
development professionals, politicians, and social activists as its member. Presently, MBMAN is
promoting a technological university in Nepal

Present Activities
To develop a foundation of the Technological University, the academy has been imparting
diploma level courses in the field of Nursing, General Heath Agriculture and Animal Sciences.
Besides, Community Medical Assistant, Assistant Nurse Midwife, and Junior Agriculture
Technician are some other courses offered. The Academy has been conducting several other
short term modular skill developments training like village level animal health worker,
agriculture development assistant, bamboo and wood works, electrical wiring, plumbing, off
season vegetable farming, micro enterprise development etc.
Apart from regular academic and modular vocational training courses, MBMAN is promoting
capacity and capability building of the rural poor and marginalized group to strength their efforts
in self-reliance and advocacy. It is also forming the Community Forestry Users’ Groups and
launching empowerment and skill development program through these groups. Government of
Nepal has awarded meritorious awards for its outstanding performance in the field of technical
education.

Although MBMAN has created a strong base for vocational training and technical education in
limited areas, it is not in the position to fulfill the diverse need of the society in formal technical
education, vocational training and research. The Academy has decided to upgrade the institution
in the form of technological University which may be distinctive from other conventional type of
University system.

Rationale
Diversified geographical distribution, absolute poverty, unstable political situation, decade long
insurgency, and lack of basic infrastructure are some of the factors that have affected the overall

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development of Nepal. The education system has always been top-down and became a
commodity of those who can afford it. The poor people have always been deprived of education
mainly because the system could not attract those who live a life of poverty. Similarly, the
present education system has neither produced graduates for employment in the job market nor
has been able to generate self-employment. As a result, it has raised a number of unemployed
educated mass and in contradiction the market has not been able to find desired skilled
workforce in the country. Thus, the issue of technical and technological university to be
promoted at the community level in Nepal has been a frequently discussed among the
stakeholders.

The youths aged between 14 – 30 years are about 7.3 million where only about 10 – 20% of the
children who enrolled in grade one completes the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination.
Only SLC graduates go for higher education and grab limited opportunities available in the
country. Those who cannot complete SLC, who are deprived from their carrier perspective, are
normally from poor segment residing in remote areas where education facilities are still very
poor and teaching learning situation is far below the standard. Thus, the country is constantly
suffering from skilled human resources.

There have been some initiatives taken by the government to address this group of people
through limited technical training institutions. Interestingly, these graduates cannot go for higher
study in the lack of clear career path in present education system. There is another group of
people who have been practicing various traditional indigenous skills for generations. They own
talents in their fields and their products are appreciated worldwide. These people are still called
uneducated simply because they do not have the formal certification.

Thus, in order to produce the technical human resources in the country at different levels and
formalize the indigenous technology through necessary academic inputs, Madan Bhandari
Memorial Academy (MBMAN) has been leading in establishing such university in the name of
the great leader late Madan Bhandari. The proposed “Madan Bhandari Technological University
(MBTU)” will be promoted by the community.

Values and Features of MBTU

In the context of 21st century and the age of globalization, the graduates produced in Nepal
should be able to compete not only in the region but also around the world. Thus, the universities
should keep their students abreast with the current developments that take place in the global
community. As the proposed MBTU plans to prepare competitive skilled human resources of
international standard, it is different from other universities as follows:

a) This will be the only technological university in Nepal that offers a career path through
university education to the graduates of both general and technical irrespective of their
academic background;
b) The graduates of this university will aspire to be dedicated to the national development
through their practical skills;
c) The university will offer competitive theoretical and practical technological education.

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 d) The university will offer higher education opportunity not only to the general SLC
graduates but also to those with technical SLC (T-SLC) qualifications,
e) The university will also offer development/community studies to its graduates along with
regular technological courses;
f) MBTU will collaborate, affiliate and exchange/share experiences with the international
technological universities, institutions and organizations;
g) MBTU will find ways and means to certify the level of existing indigenous technical and
vocational skills after fulfilling certain formalities and standards;
h) It will conduct research/studies in various technological issues and facilitate to propagate
/promote indigenous skills with introducing appropriate technology in mobilizing natural
resources; and
i) The university will attract community participation based on the principle of public
private partnership;
Conceptualization meetings:
From the beginning of 2007, MBMAN has conducted series of formal/informal meetings/sharing
with different stake-holders to conceptualization of the proposed university. A team of the
committed people, including professors’, academicians, government officials, and experts of
technological education, in establishing a technological university in the country finalized the
concept note of the proposed Madan Bhandari Technological University in Godawari on 8 June
2007. In the mean time, MBMAN formed a PromotionTeam (doctors, engineers' and subject
matter specialists etc.) to facilitate the activities of the proposed university.

Progress till date:

After the compilation of the concept note a workshop was organized on 22 Sep 2007 to share the
progress and to finalize the draft bill to be submitted to the concerned government authorities.
Furthermore, advocating the idea of establishing a technological university to the Government of
Nepal (GoN), the progress made till date is as follows:

• Concept paper and draft bill were submitted to concerned government agencies ;
• National Planning Commission incorporated the concept of such technological university
in its Three-year Interim Plan – 2007- 2010;
• MBTU promotion team in association with policy-makers, educationist, GoN agencies,
I/Ngo’s, multi-lateral/bi-literal agencies, officials of different universities, and various
professionals and leaders of community organizations has initiated several
meetings/workshops/seminars and interaction programs to promote the idea of
establishing the university;
• Concept Paper was discussed and approved by the Education Policy Committee of the
government;
• A study of University Grant Commission of Nepal identified the need of such
technological university in the country and recommended to the concerned government

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 authority and MBMAN to improve/upgrade the available physical facilities of MBMAN
as a foundation to MBTU;
• Establishment of technological university is one of the new program incorporated in the
Nepal Government's policy, program and budget in 2008-2009;
• Honorable President of Nepal clearly mentioned the policy of establishing the
technological university in the Policy and Program of GoN – 2009-2010 as “ necessary
legal and institutional actions will be taken to establish the technological university and
will support for its infrastructure development”;
• Similarly, Honorable Minister for Finance also mentioned as “ a technological university
will be established in eastern region to promote technical education”’ in his budget
speech for the current fiscal year;
• Besides, honorable prime-minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, in his inaugural message of
Manmohan Memorial Polytechnic, Nepal committed that a technological university will
be establish in the name of late Madan Bhandari in the eastern region of Nepal; and
• Finally, addressing the interaction program on “Role of Community Organization in
Promoting Technological University” organized by MBTU on November 18, 2009,
honorable Minister for Education said as “under the instruction of Prime-minister, the
proposed technological university will be named as ‘Madhan Bhandari Technological
University’… and the government is committed to provide legal status immediately to
establish and operate the university.”

Proposed Faculties Under MBTU

The proposed faculties of the university are attached in annex A.

Request for Technical and Financial Assistance

Since, we lack the technical experiences in establishing technological university; MBTU is
looking forward the proper technical support. Similarly, establishment of such technological
university requires a lot of financial resources. Thus, MBTU would like to request the GoN to
seek the cooperation of full technical and financial assistance from the government of Peoples’
Republic of China to establish and operate the proposed Madan Bhandari Technical University.
The available physical facilities of Madan Bhandari Memorial Academy, Nepal, which will be
transferred to proposed MBTU is attached in annex B.

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Annex A.

At this stage it is difficult exactly specify what technological areas to be included at the
university. Specific technological areas can be fixed only after having a detailed study of needs
of the private and industrial sector. However, Agricultural technologies, industrial technologies,
information technologies, medical technologies and other relevant areas of technologies will be
the programs at the undergraduate and graduate level. Based on the observation of the labor
market, proposed University site, and future demands, the university develops institutions to
offer undergraduate and graduate level educational programs in the following technological
areas:

Agricultural Technologies

1. Livestock Production 2. Dairy Technology 3. Veterinary Science

4. Horticulture 5. Crop Science 6. Agro-forestry
7. Meat and Milk processing/products
Information and Communication Technology

1. Information technology 2. Communication and media technology

Engineering

1. Architectural technology 2. Construction technology 3. Mechanical technology

4. Automotive technology 5. Chemical engineering 6. Electrical and electronic Technology
Biological Sciences

1. Biotechnology

Textile technology

Environmental science and Engineering

Food Technology (food processing)
Health Sciences

1. Lab Technology 2. Radiography 3 Dental technology

4. Bio-medical technology 5. Public health 6. Pharmacy & pharmaceuticals
7. Medicine 8. Nursing 9. Physiotherapy
10. Health care management and administration

Computer Technology
1. Computer programming 2. Computer application

Other Areas

1. Secretarial and Office Management 2. Textile Technology 3. Plastic technology

4. Chemical Engineering Technologies 5. Urban planning and management
6. Water resource management 7. Hospitality Management
8. Business management 9. Technology education

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Annex B.

Physical Facilities in Use

a. Buildings

Particular Size Total

Library/Admin 19x8-1,22x14-2 3
Teachers Room 12x10-3=3 3
Principal Room 13x11-1, 17x29-2 3
Toilet 5x5-6, 11x20-2, 8x7-1, 6x10-4, 5x4-8, 3x3-8, 29
Bath Room 4x5-5,11x20-2 , 4x6-4, 5x5-4, 6x6-5 20
Demonstration Room 22x12-1, 34x12-2, 3
Store 13x11-1, 17x12-2, 22x14-2,12x11-5 10
Cook Room 10x10-1, 12x11-1, 12x10-2, 4
Guard Room 10x9-2, 17x10-1, 10x8-3 6
Kitchen Room 12x12-1, 16x27- 1, 12x10-1, 30 x 20- 2 5
Dining Room 13x12-2, 28x10-1, 28x 20- 2 5
Hostel Room 25x25-6, 17x23-47, 38x37- 3 56
Reading Room 22x27-4, 4
Class Room 23x23-8,17x29-4, 17x23-23, 22x14-5,22x26-5 45
Laboratory 17x24-4, 4
Hall 22x55-2, 2
House Keeper Room 12x11-3 , 3
Office room 14 x 15- 8 8

b. Land

1. 35 Bigha in use
2. 4.55.. Bigha in acquisition Process
3. 100.. Ropani in acquisition Process
c. Vehicles

• Bus – 1
• Tractor – 1
• Motorbikes – 4
• Bicycles – 15

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