For the first time in its three-decade history, Kathmandu University is choosing its next vice-chancellor through an open competition.

A week after its formation, the search committee, formed to recommend three names of the new vice-chancellor of the second oldest general education university in the country, on January 5 decided to call applications from those aspiring for the post.

The Ministry of Education, on the behalf of the committee, on the same day issued a notice to send the curriculum vitae to the personal email of Krishna Gopal Shrestha, the education minister, who is a coordinator of the committee, by January 11.

However, educationists, looking at the past practices, say they are least hopeful that the appointment will be made on the basis of merit.

“I don’t believe the resumes were called to find strong candidates,” Tanka Nath Sharma, former dean at the School of Education in the University, told the Post. “This just an attempt to show the appointment was done transparently. At least previous trends show that.”

In 2019, search committees were formed to recommend the candidates for five different universities. The committees called for the CVs along with their work plans while leading the universities during their four-year tenures. As many as 250 people had applied for the positions and the search committees shortlisted 178 people who meet the eligibility criteria.

However, when the appointments were made they were based on the political sharing deals rather than on the merit. In March last year Oli appointed Nanda Bahadur Singh as the vice-chancellor of Mid-Western University and Yadav Raj Koirala in Purbanchal University. Singh and Koirala got the appointments because of their proximity to Oli.

The Nepali Congress and then Pushpa Kamal Dahal faction within the Nepal Communist Party had expressed its serious reservations. Following their pressure Oli in September last year appointed Prem Prakash Aryal, close to Nepali Congress as the vice-chancellor at Pokhara University. Similarly, Punya Prasad Regmi got appointment in Agriculture and Forestry university from Dahal’s quota and Oli’s confidant Yadav Lamichhane got to lead the Nepal Sanskrit University.

“I don’t believe the resumes were called to find strong candidates,” Tanka Nath Sharma, former dean at the School of Education in the University, told the Post. “This just an attempt to show the appointment was done transparently. At least previous trends show that.”

The 88th senate meeting of Kathmandu University on December 29 had formed a three-member search committee, led by Shrestha, to find a successor to incumbent vice-chancellor Dr Ram Kantha Makaju, whose term expires on January 21.

Daman Nath Dhungana, chair of the university’s Board of Trustees, and Suresh Raj Sharma, founder vice-chancellor at the university, are two other committee members.

The committee will recommend three names of potential vice-chancellor and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, as an ex-officio university chancellor, will pick one of the candidates to lead the varsity.

The education experts say the decision to call for the resume without setting the criteria for selection gives ample room to suspect that the appointment will not be transparent. “Competency is measured based on set criteria. However, that hasn’t been set yet,” said Sharma.

The university’s professors’ association, student representative and the former officials at the university have been demanding criteria be set before picking the leadership in the varsity. They say who wants to lead the universities should demonstrate how they plan to take the university forward during their four years’ tenure and that has to be a key qualification for appointments.

Experts have also raised questions over asking applicants to send their CVs in the personal email of the education minister.

“I am surprised to see applicants have been asked to send their CVs to a personal email,” Binay Kusiyait, a professor at Tribhuvan University, told the Post. “The intention might not be wrong but it gives room to suspect about transparency in the selection process.”

However,according to Dipendra KC, personal secretary to Minister Shrestha, the search committee unanimously made the decision to call the CV’s in the personal email.

“His (minster’s) email was chosen because he is a coordinator of the search committee,” he said. “That is just a medium to receive the CV’s. So, this shouldn’t be a big issue.”

Incumbent Makaju succeeded Suresh Raj Sharma as the vice-chancellor in 2012 and he was reappointed in January 2017. His both tenure have been dragged into controversies prompting the professors and students to demand that his tenure not be extended.