Miscellaneous
Huge response: Nearly 100,000 visit event
The Kantipur Hissan Edu-fair 2016, being organised at Bhrikutimandap in the Capital to inform prospective students about +2 and Bachelor-level colleges in the country, drew close to 100,000 visitors on Saturday.The Kantipur Hissan Edu-fair 2016, being organised at Bhrikutimandap in the Capital to inform prospective students about +2 and Bachelor-level colleges in the country, drew close to 100,000 visitors on Saturday.
The four-day event which began on Thursday is aimed at fresh SLC and +2 graduates to inform them about the available courses, quality of education, facilities and fee structure in Nepali colleges. Ninety-nine colleges have their stalls at the fair where students can receive information brochures and counselling.
The event, which has been organised jointly by the Kantipur Media Group and the Higher Secondary School’s Association Nepal since 2013, with an aim of providing students and guardians information on the types of Nepali colleges and degrees available. Coordinator of the fair Navaraj Pandey said the event is one of the biggest platforms for prospective students to see that domestic educational institutions are capable of imparting quality education on par with the international standards.
“I found the fair very helpful in learning about what different colleges have to offer,” said Preeti Sapkota, who was at the fair to find a good +2 management college. “Here, colleges are providing education and career counselling to students and not just handing out pamphlets.”
As foreign institutes have been increasingly organising such fairs in the country to promote their colleges, Nepali colleges have felt the need to showcase their facilities and programmes. The third edition of the event is being held after a gap of two years as it had to be cancelled last year due to the earthquake.
All the top colleges have participated in the event, with teachers and counsellors on hand in their respective stalls to talk to prospective students and answer their queries. Director of Himalayan White House International College Narayan Kafle said that students have become very informed and conscious on their future. “They want to learn how the education they are receiving will result in better career options and the fair is a very good platform for this,” he said. “Students can compare the colleges and weigh in the courses here.”
Vox pop
'The number of students visiting the fair during this time is far more than that of last edition, and these are very informed students. Students are excited about our IT-based teaching and learning method for +2 science, management and humanities streams. At our college, we have made all aspects of learning online where students can submit assignments, find information materials, look at their report cards and engage with teachers online.' -Narayan Kafle, Director, Himalayan White House International College, Kathmandu
'We are here to inform interested students about the four-year Bachelor’s course in Hotel Management job-oriented short-term courses that we offer. The college guarantees 100 percent job placement to BHM graduates in foreign countries. Our short-term international hotel management course and trainings on barista, cooking and baking among others are ideal for developing professional skills. A lot of students visited our stall.' -Gaurav Dangol, Student, Academy of Culinary Arts and Hotel Management, Kathmandu
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal is the board that regulates Chartered Accountancy education in Nepal. There are eight accredited institutes that provide CA courses in the country while many other institutes also run CA classes. Students who have completed their +2 visited our stall as they want to pursue a career in accountancy. We are providing information about the professional course to the students. The fee is also very reasonable. CA graduates have very good employment opportunities in Nepal.' -Bipin Raj Tiwari, Officer, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal
'We are in Kathmandu to promote the brand of Merryland College. A lot of visitors showed interest in our college as we provide a BBA-equivalent degree of the University of Wolverhampton, which is based in the UK. The international degree is recognised by Tribhuvan University and the government, and out college graduates can work either at home or abroad. Visitors’ response has been positive. Many have said they would enroll in our college to pursue higher education, while others said they would recommend our college to their friends and relatives there.' -Nikhil Agrawal, Student, Merryland College, Biratnagar
'Those interested in making a career as air hostess have come to the fair. There are certain qualifications required to become an air hostess—they must have completed their +2 and should be at least 5’2” tall. We tell them that they can find jobs in the aviation industry both within the country and outside if they become air hostess. Our training helps make students more confident and capable to pursue a career in this field.' - Anu Baral, Graduate, Air Hostess Training Institute, Kathmandu