Over 15,000 students visited the fifth edition of The Kathmandu Post Edu Con (Education Fair) on Saturday at Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu.

The second day of the Fair saw thousands of footfalls, mainly students who recently passed Plus II and Bachelors degree courses. Most visited the pavilions with their parents and guardians to check out options for higher education.

The rush of Plus II students was more at the stalls; most met with counsellors to get a better understanding of career prospects.

The three-day event, that started Friday, saw presentations on various topics by renowned figures. The Fair features a scholarship scheme and daily lucky draw. The British College is the main sponsor of the Fair, managed by Rise Events.

The highlight of the second day was Miss Nepal 2018 Shrinkhala Khatiwada shared her journey as architect engineer and beauty pageant crown-holder with the students. Likewise, there was question and answer session with actor Madan Krishna Shrestha on Saturday.

Around 110 domestic and international colleges and universities are exhibiting their courses at the Fair. Forty colleges and universities from Nepal and 70 from India, Bangladesh, Australia and the United States of America are participating in the fifth edition of the Fair. Their representatives counsel and provide information to visiting students and parents throughout the day.

Visitors can compare the offerings of reputable colleges and universities from different parts of the world. Besides information on colleges and universities, students have the opportunity to receive career guidance during the Fair.

Many students who visited the Fair on Saturday came with their peers. One of them was Suman Shrestha from New Baneshwor who attended along with five friends looking for colleges offering Doctor of Pharmacy courses in India.

“I’m keen to pursue this course as job opportunities are higher,” said Shrestha adding that he was happy to receive first-hand information on his desire course.

Many parents came to the Fair looking for better career opportunities for their teenagers. Sunita Acharya from Pepsicola was looking for academic institutions in Australia for her daughter who recently passed Plus II.

“I found the Fair insightful for my daughter and me,” she said. “Today’s visit at the Fair helped me to get the dates of IELTS examinations. My daughter plans to enroll in an Australian college.”

Many students hovered around pavilions disseminating information on bachelors programmes offered by some colleges. Most seemed satisfied with the counselling given by the many representatives of various colleges.

“I got good information as well as counselling on my plan to study in Australia,” said Asmita Giri who aspires to pursue bachelor’s degree in journalism.  

Sajan Acharya, 18, who recently completed his Plus II from St. Xavier’s College, looked excited with the information he received on higher education prospects in the US. “Although I did not find many colleges from the US, consultants provided me a clear road map for my further studies,” he said.

Since the Fair not only exhibits courses offered by many colleges and universities, but also offers career and education counselling, many students were eager to know more about job opportunities after completing higher education.

The three-day event ends on Sunday.