Madan Bhandari University of Science and Technology on Saturday held its first commencement ceremony, marking a milestone for Nepal’s newest public university.

The ceremony at Donor Plaza in Chitlang marked the graduation of the university’s first cohort. Dhana Krishna Acharya, Sabnam Subedi and Shishil Rai completed the Organic Agriculture programme, becoming MBUST’s first graduates.

Jamil Salmi, a higher education expert, who attended as the chief guest, was conferred an honorary degree for his contributions to higher education reform and policy. In his address, Salmi urged graduates to remain ethical and socially responsible and praised MBUST’s focus on quality and institutional autonomy.

Padma Jyoti, chairperson of the MBUST Board of Trustees, said stronger collaboration between academia and industry is needed to translate research into innovation and employment.

MBUST President Rajendra Dhoj Joshi said the university is strengthening research capacity and aligning academic work with national development priorities.

MBUST currently has 65 students enrolled in research programmes. From the upcoming academic session, it plans to launch undergraduate programmes in digital technology, including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data science.