Madan Bhandari University of Science and Technology (MBUST) is set to host a one-day international conference in Kathmandu on Sunday, aiming to chart its course towards becoming a world-class university through global engagement and collaboration.

Titled ‘First step towards world-class university’, the event will bring together academicians, policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders from Nepal and abroad to discuss the university’s long-term vision and strategies for academic excellence.

University President Rajendra Dhoj Joshi said the primary goal of the conference is to foster international partnerships and generate broader support for the institution. “We are new in this sector and need support from everyone to run this university smoothly,” said Joshi, adding that the university has already raised Rs12.5 million in donations.

Established under a special University Operation Act, MBUST currently has 34 postgraduate and doctoral students enrolled.

The conference will feature a keynote address by Prof Seeram Ramakrishna, a trustee of MBUST and faculty member at the National University of Singapore.

A panel discussion titled ‘Building a world-class university: The power of stakeholder engagement’ will be a central event component.

The panel will include Bhanu Acharya, trustee of MBUST and former auditor general; Prof Govind Raj Pokharel, former vice chairperson of the National Planning Commission; Dr Rajendra Dhoj Joshi, president of MBUST; Mahesh Kumar Bartuala, trustee of MBUST and member of Parliament; and Prof Sangeeta Singh, trustee of MBUST and former member of the National Planning Commission.

In addition to the panel, the event will feature presentations by over seven distinguished international speakers, including Prof Nam Pyo Suh, professor emeritus at MIT and KAIST in Korea; Prof Suzanne Fortier of McGill University, Canada; Prof Richard Miller, founding president of Olin College of Engineering, US; Kenichi Ohashi, former country director of the World Bank Nepal; Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, chairperson of the Board of Trustees at the University of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan; Bruce Flessner, chairperson of the Everest Fund of Science and Technology, US; and Prof Seeram Ramakrishna of the National University of Singapore.

University officials said the conference represents a key milestone for MBUST as it positions itself as an innovation-driven, globally connected academic institution.