The seventh edition of Kantipur-Higher Institutions and Secondary Schools’ Association Nepal (HISSAN) Education Fair kicked off at Bhrikutimandap Exhibition Hall, in Kathmandu, on Friday.

The four-day fair was inaugurated by Minister of State Umesh Shrestha.

The fair is organised targeting students who are awaiting results of grades 10 and 12 and provides information on colleges and courses they can opt for.

Speaking at the inauguration, Shrestha stressed how Nepal has the potential to become a hub for higher studies and requested investors to put their money in education and become more service-oriented.

A large number of students leaving the country to pursue higher studies is concerning, says Shrestha.

“New universities should be set up with the vision to provide the best possible education in the country itself. These education centres need not be Kathmandu-centric and should branch out to other equally deserving cities to make world-class education available in Nepal,” said Shrestha. He further stressed the need for setting up vocational training centres so that the students can have the opportunity to receive skill-based education for immediate job prospects in the market.

According to the Education Under-Secretary of No Objection Certificate (NOC), Hari Prasad Niraula, 102,873 individuals received NOC in the first 11 months of the current fiscal year ended mid-June for different countries.

“If we could make a conducive environment here for students to receive better education, it will save a lot of effort and money for students,” said Shrestha, who is also a former president of HISSAN.

The first edition of the education fair was held six years ago and had been on hold since 2019 due to the global pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.

“We are happy that after a gap of two years, we are able to give continuity to this annual fair,” said Mahesh Swar, assistant general manager of the Kantipur Media Group.

“Our children are migrating for higher education in larger numbers than ever before. So the motive of this fair is to let them choose the best colleges within the country so that they can receive quality education in Nepal itself,” he said.

HISSAN President Ramesh Kumar Silwal said such events are important for students and parents who do not know their future course of action in terms of education.

Seventy-five educational institutions affiliated with various universities including Tribhuvan University, Pokhara University, Purbanchal University, Mid-West University, and the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) are participating in the annual fair this year.

The organisers estimate around 200,000 people including students, parents and stakeholders will visit the fair.

Meanwhile, Mahashram Sharma, chairman of the National Examination Board, says it is important to dwell on the crux of the student migration issue. “We must ask ourselves as to why more and more students are leaving the country for higher education. We must start thinking where we have lagged in terms of providing good education to our children,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of implementing a public-private partnership modality in the education sector and making the education system inclusive for students from remote areas of the country like Humla, Jumla, and the Terai region.

“We can’t give better education to students without qualified teachers so we must train our teachers. The examination board is working towards providing training to teachers in particular areas of teaching,” said Sharma.

The title sponsor of the event is ‘My Second Teacher,’ an online education platform which provides digital learning experience. The main sponsor is the Golden Gate International College.

The fair starts from 10am to 5pm for the next four days. Entry is free for all.