April 6: Mero Microfinance Bittiya Sanstha has concluded its financial literacy seminar in Katahariya of Rautahat and Kolwi of Bara.…
April 6: Mero Microfinance Bittiya Sanstha has concluded its financial literacy seminar in Katahariya of Rautahat and Kolwi of Bara.…
…
…
…
…
Notice (8): Undefined variable: file [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60]Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/indexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '7879', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'Mero Microfinance Financial Literacy Seminar Concludes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: Mero Microfinance Bittiya Sanstha has concluded its financial literacy seminar in Katahariya of Rautahat and Kolwi of Bara. ', 'content' => '<p>April 6: Mero Microfinance Bittiya Sanstha has concluded its financial literacy seminar in Katahariya of Rautahat and Kolwi of Bara. Issuing a statement on Thursday, April 5, the organisation said that the best women's group was rewarded with cash prize. “The microfinance company has invested to help raise the income source,” the statement said.</p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2018-04-06', 'modified' => '2018-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '7660', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '2018-04-06 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '16' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '2642', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'Degrading Higher Education System', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<div> </div> <div> <div> <strong>--By Narayan Prasad Paudel</strong></div> <div> </div> <div> Higher education in Nepal has drawn massive attention and concern from various communities across the nation. If higher education system of the country is reliable, quality conscious, functional and market and need driven, it ultimately serves the greater need of the aspirant youth of the country in materializing their dreams with upgraded level of skill sets that correspond to the rising market potentiality. Nepali youths are facing many problems due to the substandard quality of education provided by most of the education institutions. The focus of education in Nepal is mass-and money-driven, rather than quality - and outcome - driven. Due to serious limitations and lack of focus on the employability of its products, Nepal’s education system is more or less, except for a few exceptions, unable to create hope and happiness across the larger segment of the Nepali society.</div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Universities and their focus </strong></span></div> <div> As of today, Nepal has nine different universities (TU, KU, Pokhara, Purbanchal, Sanskrit, Buddhist, Agriculture, Mid Western and Far Western ) providing higher education. Among these, the oldest and the biggest is Tribhuvan University (TU), established in 1959 by the government, is providing higher education to more than 450,000 students.</div> <div> </div> <div> Sanskrit University, established in December 1986, operates from its central office in Dang district. Kathmandu University (KU), established in 1991, is providing higher education to 4,000 students in its own constituent campuses and 7,500 students from its affiliated colleges.</div> <div> </div> <div> Pokhara University, established in 1997 as Nepal's fifth University, has provided higher education to more than 25,000 students through its affiliated campuses. Purbanchal University established in 1993, operates from its head office in Biratnagar. Along with these two regional universities, Mid Western and Far Western Universities provide higher education in their respective development regions. </div> <div> </div> <div> Besides them, the Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU) and the Lumbini Buddha University (LBU) are other two universities established in Nepal.</div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Current Scenario</strong></span></div> <div> All these universities claim of having good curriculum structure, academic infrastructure and suitable academic environment. Though most of them claim of contributing their best to higher education in Nepal, in reality the scenario is not exactly the same as stated in their documents. </div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Curriculum and focus of Faculties </strong></span></div> <div> Talking about the structure of academic curriculum of these universities, except in few cases, there are plenty of shortcomings. This includes repetition of the same courses at different level of academic programmes. </div> <div> </div> <div> Most courses of many of these universities, developed long back, are still in use without timely adjustment to make them, in line with other foreign universities. Most of the courses, are less market - and need driven and more theory oriented that overweight practical courses. </div> <div> </div> <div> Hotchpotch design of the curriculum that ignore the substance and relevance of the subject matter are some of the apparent weaknesses of the curriculum structure in different Universities in Nepal. </div> <div> </div> <div> However, few of the academic programmes e.g. Institute of Medicine, Institute of Engineering and few of the MBA programmes in the country have been able to blend all the necessary requirement in their curriculum and hence are able to attract and motivate national as well international students.</div> <div> </div> <div> Irresponsible academicians are also huge problems in Nepal. For example, some university professors do not entirely contribute time and energy to their own academic institutions as committed by them and as mentioned in their terms of reference (TOR). This trend has resulted in the creation of many helmet professors, unprofessional consultants and development activists, at the cost of academic professional values. </div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Politics in the Universities</strong></span></div> <div> Many academicians forget their own status and keep in frequent touch with political activist and leaders. They think that they would be rewarded by being appointed for attractive academic and non-academic moneymaking and to so called higher ladder positions in different institutions like vice chancellors, registrars, deans, campus chiefs, advisors, ambassador etc. This greed of the academic community has ultimately exploited themselves as they lose their most productive time in unproductive appointments. </div> <div> </div> <div> We all know that all our universities are ultimately governed by the government. Using the power of governance the Prime Minister (Chancellor) appoints senior leaders of the universities (e.g. Vice Chancellors)on the basis of the prospective candidate’s inclination towards a particular political ideology and the volume of financial contribution that the candidate can make to the political party that the Prime Minister belongs to. Ultimately, the nearer and the dearer of the Prime Minister get appointed to the prestigious position of the vice chancellors. If we examine, the history, except in a few cases, most of the university leaders have attempted to make such appointees happy with exhibiting extra loyalty towards them. </div> <div> </div> <div> As a result the rest of the leaders of the universities including the registrar, dean, department head, campus chiefs are appointed on the basis of instructions given by political leaders and government authority. They start polluting the institution by hiring faculties on contract by not announcing vacancy through public notice. These rampant contract appointments are made at different layers of the academia on the basis of personal relations and by ignoring the competent public masses that could have been selected, if the selections were made through competitive process. And these are ultimately given permanent position as well. </div> <div> </div> <div> Consequently prospective and qualified teaching professionals are denied the opportunity to teach while incompetent faculties appointed against the principles of good governance and with sub standard quality, provide sub-standard education and affect entire performance of the university. This practice, rampant and prevalent in every academic institutions and universities in Nepal, has caused continuous loss of confidence on these institutions. </div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Influence of Student Unions </strong></span></div> <div> Irresponsible activities of the student unions in most of the universities have also resulted in the delivery of sub standard quality and performance of academic programmes. In most cases student union leaders force innocent students to participate in their political activities. Based on instructions provided by the union leaders, students forgo their regular learning activities, involve in activities of political parties and lose their productive time and resources. Otherwise, they would have devoted that time to build their learning ability and gained skills expected by their prospective employers and thereby build basis to lead their dream life. </div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>The way forward </strong></span></div> <div> Neither political leaders nor government institutions are responsible, nor the academic communities, teachers and students at large, are honestly eager to maintain and upgrade the integrity of the national academia. We are losing our face in the international academic community. Substandard outcome of these programmes has ultimately resulted into greater un-employability, which has led to anxiety, frustration, and depression among the youth and forced them to migrate abroad for employment in menial jobs. </div> <div> What would be the panacea for the aforesaid problems? The ultimate answer is commitment, dedication, and greater focus on responsibility and accountability, from all stakeholders. This would ultimately refine prevailing degrading professional practices rampant in our education system. We all need to improve ourselves, firstly be removing unwanted greed for money and power and secondly by uplifting our professional competencies and qualities through lifelong learning. Faculties need to focus on training, exposure activities, research and publications that would positively contribute to the overall performance of entire community. Society should play greater role to correct the unwanted behaviour of concerned authorities through constant review of an institution’s performance and activities. Government should build highest level of integrity and morale. Government leaders should be free from the unnecessary greed for power and resources. </div> <div> </div> <div> The crux of the problem is our political system, which needs to be overhauled. All political leaders need to frame their role model behaviour and should attempt to exhibit and practice in real life. They should hesitate to infiltrate pure academic environment with party politics, otherwise they would be entirely held accountable for the degrading academic performance. We can refine the political machinery of the nation, if we all have strong commitment to uplift academic height in line with developed countries. The principle of sacrifice and contribution should be embedded in the performance of both political and academic leaders.</div> <div> </div> <div> <em>(Narayan Prasad Paudel, Ph.D, is Assistant Professor, Kathmandu University School of Management. Email: narayan@kusom.edu.np.)</em></div> </div> <div> </div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2014-02-20', 'modified' => '2014-02-20', 'keywords' => 'new business age business education news & articles, business education news & articles from new business age nepal, business education headlines from nepal, current and latest business education news from nepal, economic news from nepal, nepali business education economic news and events, ongoing', 'description' => 'The focus of education in Nepal is mass and money driven, rather than quality and outcome driven.', 'sortorder' => '2482', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '1071', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'ICA Gives Flavours Of Openness', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p> </p> <p> <strong>By Bhawani Timilsina</strong></p> <p> Young professionals find it difficult to further their academic careers as it requires managing work and study simultaneously. Open universities are gaining huge popularity among such professionals. The International Centre for Academic (ICA) has been helping such young professionals to pursue their academic dreams since its inception in 1997.</p> <p> A majority of Nepali students are quite familiar with the idea of working and studying together. However, it is a task easier said than done. Binayak Shrestha was 23 when he felt the need to enhance his academic strength for career growth. But he found it difficult to continue study and work simultaneously. Then a friend suggested him to visit ICA which runs classes for courses offered by Indira Gandhi Open University, (IGNOU). Shrestha completed his degree back in 2008. He shares, “The experience of studying at ICA helped me enhance my academic qualification and build up confidence in a completely open and flexible environment. The advancement in technology supported me and my friends to get quality education while continuing our jobs.</p> <p> The revolution in the information and communications technology has brought about a sea change in the teaching and learning system. Universities around the world are making their education ‘open’ to all; technology has made it possible for students to earn degrees without physically attending these universities. Open universities offer openness in selecting courses without the barrier of “prerequisites and essentials.” The demand of open universities has been growing around the world.</p> <p> Paridhi Acharya, 26, completed her post graduation from ICA in 2010. What made her select a course of an open university was flexible environment that it provides, especially for those students who want to take work and study side by side. “I am thrilled that I got a degree from such a renowned university and completed my post graduation securing high marks,” says one of the gold medallists of ICA.</p> <p> ICA is a partner institution of IGNOU which is one of the most popular educational institutions in India, offering inclusive education to students since its establishment in 1985.Being one of the pioneers in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in Nepal, ICA has been actively involved in resource development and research and publications related to the ODL system. So far, ICA has helped thousands of students get internationally acclaimed degrees.Students who want flexibility in study are highly attracted by distance–learning programmes, which often rely on pre–prepared study materials instead of lecturers on a daily basis. </p> <p> <img alt="ICA Gives Flavours of Openness" height="308" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_jue2013_ics_classroom(1).jpg" style="margin:0 10px 0 0;" width="595" /></p> <p> ICA presently offers 44 different Academic, Value Added and Awareness programmes through ODL mode in Management, Humanities & Social Science, Tourism, Computer Science, Journalism and Mass Communication, Education, Rural Development, Health Science, Social Work, Gender and Development Studies, Extension and Development Studies, Continuing Education etc. Currently, the cumulative student strength of ICA is more than 1200. The learners enrolled at ICA are freshers or professionals from diverse fields such as hospitality, financial institutions, telecoms, corporate houses, embassies and diplomatic agencies etc. ICA also offers such programmes in collaboration with government and non government agencies through an arrangement of programme specific Work Centres and a strong network of Learner Support Centres located in different parts of Nepal.</p> <p> <strong>Premium courses of IGNOU:</strong></p> <p> MBA/Management Programme aimed at graduates from any stream who may/may not be working but would like to pursue a career in Management. </p> <p> MEG aimed at providing learners with a sound base in language as well as exposure to a wide range of literature, with options for specialisation in a particular area. The learners are expected to develop confidence in their critical and analytical abilities.</p> <p> MCA aimed at preparing graduate students for productive careers in software industry and academia by providing an outstanding environment for teaching and research in the core and emerging areas of the discipline.</p> <p> MARD or MA Programme in Rural Development (MARD) is designed to include such diverse academic contents that are essential in the making of this discipline in the Indian Context. A critical component of this Programme is dissertation based on empirical research in rural areas. The Programme will be useful for personnel working in various Govt. Departments/agencies, NGOs, Cooperatives, Banks and other institutions engaged in rural transformation. It will also be beneficial for fresh graduates interested in pursuing careers in the discipline of rural development.</p> <p> PGDJMC or Post-Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication provides opportunities for working media personnel to enhance their knowledge and skills for their professional development</p> <p> B. Ed. aimed to systematize experiences and strengthen the professional competency of in-service teachers, to imbibe the knowledge and develop understanding of various methods and approaches of organizing learning experiences of secondary school students, to develop skills required in selection and organizing learning experiences, to understand the nature of the learner and the learning processes, to develop skills required for dealing with the academic and personal problems of learners, etc.</p> <p> BCA aimed at opening a channel of admission for computing courses for students, who have done the 10+2 and are interested in taking computing/IT as a career. After acquiring the Bachelor’s Degree (BCA) at IGNOU, there is further educational opportunity to go for an MCA at IGNOU or a Master’s Programme at any other university/institute. Also, after completing BCA Programme, a student should be able to get an entry level job in the field of Information Technology or ITES.</p> <p> BTS aimed at providing knowledge, competence, and skills in the professional area of tourism at the Bachelor’s Degree level. This programme, like other Bachelor’s Degree Programmes, can be completed in three years.</p> <p> BA or Bachelors Degree Programme which admits students from both formal and non-formal streams. The non-formal stream consists of those students who have not cleared 10+2 or an equivalent exam. To get admitted to IGNOU’s degree programme, they have to pass its Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme (BPP) first.</p> <p> B. Com., in which students without a formal qualification of 10+2 or its equivalent can also seek admission and they can study at their own pace and convenience over a period of three to six years.</p> <p> Students also get basic knowledge in the core areas of humanities, social sciences, computers and science & technology as there are some compulsory foundation courses. Besides selective courses in commerce there is flexibility to choose courses from a wide range of other disciplines.</p> <p> DCE or Diploma Programme in Creative Writing in English provides understanding, skills and professional knowledge about the art of writing and develops the creative ability of those interested in a professional career as a freelance writer. The curriculum is structured to impart instruction in progressive stages so as to ensure that a learner can assimilate information about a writer’s art and develop his/her creative ability. This Programme includes training in imaginative writing skills in relation to feature articles (women’s issues, book reviews, etc), writing short stories, and scripts for TV/Radio, and writing poetry.</p> <p> DTS, which provides the learners with the facility to specialize in the chosen operational areas in tourism studies and helps them acquire the associated skills. </p> <p> BPP, which is a Programme offered to those students who wish to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree of IGNOU but do not have the essential qualification of having passed 10+2. Without such a qualifying certificate, these students are deprived of higher education. To enable such students to enter higher education stream, IGNOU has designed this preparatory programme. </p> <div> <hr /> </div> <p> <strong><br /> </strong></p> <p> <strong>‘We plan to add more programmes’</strong></p> <div> <strong style="font-size: 12px;"><img alt="Biswajit Mukherjee, Chairperson / MD ICA" height="315" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_jue2013_ics_chairperson_biswajit.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 0 0;" width="200" />How long have been the journey of ICA in Nepal and its association with IGNOU?</strong></div> <div> <p> ICA was established 16 years ago in 1997. We are associated with IGNOU since 2002. </p> <p> <strong>What are milestones of this journey, most memorable moments or developments?</strong></p> <p> First, induction meeting for the 1st Batch of 22 learners of IGNOU from Nepal that was held in January 2003 at Dharan. It marked the start of IGNOU’s journey in Nepal. We owe thanks to all the 22 first-batch learners who believed in us though we did not have any official recognition from the government back then. </p> <p> IGNOU awarded us the Best Overseas Partner Institution 2010 for the best services at the 22nd Convocation of the university held on April 2, 2011. Recently, we received the Best Overseas Partner Institution 2013 Award for the Best Services from the university at the 26th Convocation held at IGNOU headquarters in New Delhi on April 12, 2013 which was provided by the President of India, H.E. Pranab Mukherjee. Our hard work finally paid off; ICA’s association with IGNOU has grown stronger and stronger. We are now more determined and motivated to providing better services to our learners.</p> <p> <strong>You offer both Degree and Diploma education. How do they differ in content and status? </strong></p> <p> Degrees are more academic in nature; the curriculum is so structured that the person undergoing the course is provided an overview of several subjects apart from one subject that the person may be interested in exploring further for both career and academic interests. It is of longer duration like 2-3 years. Diplomas focus on getting a person trained and qualified in a particular business or trade. Some of them even include a short stint of apprenticeships and on-the-job training. They are of shorter duration - maximum one <span style="font-size: 12px;">to one and a half years.</span></p> <p> <strong>Are these degrees equivalent to those from TU and KU in content, legality and industry recognition?</strong></p> <p> Yes all our degrees are equivalent to those from TU, KU and other universities of Nepal. Our centre is also approved by the Ministry of Education, Government of Nepal. I also take this opportunity to inform our readers that IGNOU degrees have been enjoying global recognition much before they were recognized by Nepal. It is also one of the enlisted universities by the United Nations.</p> <p> <strong>What are teaching and evaluating methods, tools and systems you use? </strong></p> <p> Yes, we very strictly follow the evaluation tools and methods prescribed by IGNOU and have developed a few of our own systems too which we have implemented with IGNOU’s approval. Such measures have enhanced the quality of evaluation and feedback provided to the learners.</p> <p> <strong>Who are your faculty? </strong></p> <p> Our faculties are the professors/ lecturers/ professionals associated with some of the leading universities or MNC’s of Nepal and India. We try to make sure that we have the best of the best faculties who are competent enough to handle the subject matter through the ODL system. We consider our faculties on a par and, in some cases, even more competent than the faculties of conventional universities or colleges on handling ODL system much better. </p> <p> <strong>What recognitions and accreditations does ICA have?</strong></p> <p> ICA is approved by the Ministry of Education, Government of Nepal. IGNOU degrees obtained through ICA are recognized by TU and KU. We are also the only member of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) from Nepal.</p> <p> <strong>What are your future plans?</strong></p> <p> We do have some big plans for the future. Now that we have been successful in establishing ourselves as one of the pioneer institutions for Open and Distance Education in Nepal, we plan to add more programmes relevant to our context and society each academic year. We have established Learner Support Centres (LSCs) at four different locations in Nepal and intend to establish more LSC in other parts of the country too so that more and more students from outside the valley can benefit. </p> <p> We are now quite seriously thinking to invest more in technology so that we can take education to the door steps of every Nepali. We are trying to establish a research centre in association with IGNOU. It’s been a long-standing request of ours with IGNOU in order to develop skilled human resource required for the ODL system, development of courses appropriate for the Nepali context and contextualization of some of the existing courses.</p> <hr /> <div> </div> <p> <strong>‘Ours is <span style="font-size: 12px;">learner-centric learning process’</span></strong></p> <p> <strong><img alt="Amit Giri, CEO, ICA" height="290" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_jue2013_ics_ceo_amit.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 0 0;" width="200" />How does one study without attending classes?</strong></p> <p> Open and Distance Learning is basically an arrangement which enables a learner to study at the time, place and pace of their choice according to their circumstances and requirements. Hence, attending a class is not an issue. Moreover, the learners after admission receive specially-designed materials called Self Learning Materials (SLM) from the university. The teacher is inbuilt. The learners can comprehend by just going through the SLM. </p> <p> To supplement the learner’s understanding of the subject matter, we organise Academic Counselling Sessions on Saturdays where learners get their queries answered and doubts cleared. Attending these sessions is, however, not mandatory. </p> <p> <strong>What is the difference between studying at a regular college and at an open university?</strong></p> <p> The basic difference is that in a regular college a learner has to attend classes where attendance is mandatory. It is a teacher-centric process for learning. There are restrictions of age, qualifications and physical presence. Costing is rarely done on cost-effective and efficient basis. In an Open University, physical presence is not mandatory. Ours is more learner-centric and provides a more flexible access to education. It is both cost-effective and efficient system for education. Multi-media and multiple methods are widely used.</p> <p> <strong>Are the degrees of open universities recognized and accepted by the industry?</strong></p> <p> Yes degrees of IGNOU obtained through ICA are recognized in Nepal and globally. A number of our graduates are absorbed in Nepal and abroad. The latest research shows that in countries like the UK, Australia, and the United States, graduates from Open Universities are in demand in the job market. The degrees are recognized and accepted universally. In Canada the degrees of IGNOU are assessed and recognized by the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) and it is one of the universities listed by the United Nations.</p> <p> <strong>What is the evaluation mechanism?</strong></p> <p> Evaluation of learners is done i) through assignments which carry 30 per cent weight in the final grades of the leaner. ii) On the basis of an examination conducted at the expiry of the minimum duration prescribed for the concerned course called Term End Examination (TEE) which carries 70 per cent weight towards the final grades of the learner. iii) The University may also prescribe courses, specific project works, field work and practical assignments for the learners. </p> <p> <strong>Where are the Term End Exams held?</strong></p> <p> They are generally held in the month of June and December every year. At present, there are two exam centres in Nepal i) Exam Centre Code: 9601, Biratnagar ii) Exams Centre Code: 9602, Kendriya Vidyalay, on the premises of the Embassy of India, Kathmandu. Exams at both centres are conducted under the overall supervision of the Embassy of India. One can also take the exams from centres in 43 countries and through the Indian missions in countries with no IGNOU centres.</p> <p> <strong>Why do you at all have entry restrictions in an ‘Open System’?</strong></p> <p> The University is concerned about the acceptability of students in society hence they have to ensure equivalence of the degrees/diplomas of IGNOU with that of the conventional universities. So, they have to keep restrictions, e.g. one has to be a 10+2 for joining BA/B.Com/BSc, but that 10+2 need not be with a threshold marks. In other words, restrictions are there but they are minimal</p> <p> <strong>We have heard that one can graduate from IGNOU even without the 10+2 education. Is it really possible?</strong></p> <p> Yes, if you are 18 or above, you may join our Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme (BPP). It is a six- month programme where you have to select any two from three preparatory courses in social sciences, commerce and mathematics. If you qualify, you may join Under Graduate (Besides Science Streams), short-term skill development and value-added programmes and any academic programme of IGNOU for which (10+2) is the minimum educational requirement. </p> <p> <strong>Does it mean that BPP is equivalent to 10+2?</strong></p> <p> <span style="font-size: 12px;">Not at all. It is only an enabling mechanism (bridge course) for joining graduation and some other programmes of IGNOU by those who for some reason or the other had missed the opportunity of completing school or higher education.</span></p> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /> </span></div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2013-06-07', 'modified' => '2013-06-07', 'keywords' => 'ICA Gives Flavours Of Openness, Business Education', 'description' => 'Open universities are gaining huge popularity among such professionals. The International Centre for Academic (ICA) has been helping young professionals to pursue their academic dreams since its inception in 1997.', 'sortorder' => '943', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '1072', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'Towards Solutions In Higher Education System', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p> <strong><br /> </strong></p> <p> <strong>By Dr A K Sen Gupta</strong></p> <p> The higher education system and institutions operating therein are passing through a great crisis of identity. The situation is more or less equally turbulent in all parts of the world. The most important stakeholders i.e. the students are often terms as Gen Y whose attitudes and attributes are at complete variance with those of Gen X i.e. the earlier generation. The differing and rising expectations of this new generation from the system in general and society at large call for different types of stimulus so that the response is positive. The Gen Y students are often with unexpected demands and fathomless expectations; they are restless and continuously looking for something different, difficult and complex. Domino effect is quite visible in terms of tangible gains and short-term material benefits. </p> <p> Consequently, there are several problems that are encountered by higher education institutions (HEIs). First, since majority of the teachers are from earlier generation, it is difficult for them to appreciate & empathize with students of Gen Y as regards their attitude to life including their behaviour in class room. Second, the conflicting value systems of both the teachers and taught (two different generations) many a times give rise to situations of misunderstanding, if not confrontation. And finally, Generation Y students do not perceive any value addition in their personal as well as professional lives from Gen X teachers as they feel that the competencies of earlier generation may not be useful in developing the skill sets required for 21st Century. The resultant effects are sometimes disastrous: confrontation, alienation, disinterest in studies, absenteeism, among others. My interaction with students and faculty from a large number of HEIs in different parts of the developing world shows a disturbing trend of increased misunderstanding between the teachers (Gen X) and students (Gen Y).Being the centres of learning, the HEIs must foster a proper and conducive environment of understanding between the teachers & learners where teachers enjoy teaching and students enjoy learning. Only such a climate can breed innovation and lay foundation stone for the economic and social growth of the country.</p> <p> In such an environment, the only solution lies in empowering the students of the HEIs where they are involved in all decision making processes of managing the respective HEI. The existing emotion of alienation arises from the feeling of being supervised & guided by people who, according to them, are not competent being from a generation that does not understand their values & feelings. Therefore, the best way to solve this complex problem is to create an institutional mechanism whereby the students take their own decisions as regards their destiny inside the HEI. These include:</p> <ol> <li> <strong>What should be taught?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>How it should be taught?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>Who should teach?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>What types of competencies / skill sets they would like to develop for themselves?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>What types of external interventions are needed to develop such competencies?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>What type of learning environment they would like to have?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>What facilities they would like to have?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>How much fees are desirable considering all the facilities?<br /> </strong></li> </ol> <p> <span style="font-size: 12px;">This essentially means that the students should decide what is best suited for them. The idea is to augment the student engagementthrough empowerment in the learning & administrative processes so that they becomemore responsible as well as accountable.The axiom is: let students (in close coordination with teachers) run the institution and decide for themselves what is best for them. It is parallel to employees running a company. </span></p> <p> The ideas suggested are indeed revolutionary in nature but worth implementing to bring down the sense of alienation of students from the educational system. To sum up, what is being suggested is not a mere structural change in managing HEIs but a paradigm shift in running educational institutions where the consumers co-create the brand and its value propositions.</p> <p> <strong>Couple of issues become critical in this regard:</strong></p> <ul> <li> Students are expected to be mature and responsible to take upon the onus of partly managing and running the institution both at macro and at micro level. Student Councils or Student Unions have been successful instruments / models in this regard in many educational institutions in different countries. But, these Councils in many places are either political or ineffective. What is needed is to make them active and involved in decision making processes. The experimentation of senior responsible positions like Vice Principals (or Deputy Directors) being created from among the students on a rotation basis, may be tried.</li> <li> Teachers and managements of the HEIs should accept this experimentation on a serious note. As this would make the system open and transparent, it might create volatility at least to begin with. </li> <li> In such a scenario there should be a person designated as Mentor who is acceptable to all in case of any difference of opinion and who may be able to take care of all possible disputes.</li> <li> Simultaneously, there should also be the concept ofreverse mentoring whereby the Gen Y can guide / mould the shape of things to come through proper interaction with Gen X teachers / management, the ideas / solutions coming from the former for a change and implemented by the latter. </li> </ul> <div> <span style="font-size:10px;">Authored by Dr A K Sen Gupta, Founder and Convener, Higher Education Forum (HEF), the largest on-line community of higher educational professionals on a global scale. His past assignments include Director of leading B-Schools in India, World Bank Consultant and Professor at National Institute of Bank Management (NIBM), Pune, India.</span></div> <div> <span style="font-size:10px;"><br /> </span></div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2013-06-07', 'modified' => '2013-06-07', 'keywords' => 'Towards Solutions In Higher Education System, Business Education, AK Sen gupta, New Business Age, June 2013', 'description' => 'Empowering students is the ultimate solution in this age of information boom and increased democratization of education.', 'sortorder' => '942', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '980', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'Learning Has To Go Much Beyond The Classroom', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p> <strong>By Bhawani Timilsina</strong></p> <p> Ace Institute of Management has completed more than a decade in the field of management education, which has now become the most aspiring career option for students.</p> <p> <span style="font-size: 12px;">Learning has to go much beyond the classroom. This is the basic mantra of the institution and also what makes it different from other (growing numbers of) business schools across the country. The institution is probably best known for its teaching methodology, but it merely excels in producing not only good managers but also good human beings as well. </span></p> <p> Ashish Tiwari, Director of the Institution, says, “The main focus of the institution is on imparting the practice oriented teaching methodology.” The institution has robust management courses ranging from BBA to Executive MBA. The college emphasizes the shaping of professionals who eventually will become successful, effective leaders. </p> <p> Established in 1999, the institution has built a reputation of conscientious learning centre among students who want to pursue management courses. <span style="font-size: 12px;">Based in excellence and quality, the institution has become successful establishing itself as one of the leading institutions enhancing the capacity of the students.</span></p> <p> The college has launched an Executive-MBA course for the first time in the country. The MBA programme has acquired a distinguished reputation for being the most rigorous and fulfilling experience. The undergraduate programmes, BBA and BBA-BI, are considered among the best in the country. Students completing undergraduate programmes in ACE are widely sought after in the job market, claims the institution. In a short span of four years Ace A-Level has distinguished itself from the crowd with its individual centered approach to learning and its focus on management and social sciences stream only. </p> <p> Tiwari adds, ‘These thirteen years have been extremely rewarding and we continue with our vision and commitment to value based management education which has strong relevance to real life. We are deeply committed to promoting a learning environment where individuals rediscover themselves and learn to be thoughtful and responsible managers, leaders and entrepreneurs. We will continue to provide our students with opportunities to explore and develop their potential so that they can make their mark in whatever they do.”</p> <p> “Learning Strategy of our institution is guided by our philosophy that each one of us learns differently and that no one’s approach is superior to another, we encourage students to take responsibility for their learning,” he added.</p> <p> Teachers are encouraged to serve as facilitators, helping students learn rather than teach them. <span style="font-size: 12px;">Educational methods such as lectures, small group exercises, management games, work projects, case studies and presentations are used. Computers, statistical kits and audio visual aids are also extensively used.</span></p> <p> Lecture sessions are interactive and students are encouraged to participate using case analysis and presentations, reviews and feedback and project works involving studies of real organizations. <span style="font-size: 12px;">The quality of students churns out year after year</span><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span></p> <p> <strong><span style="font-size: 12px;">Facilities</span></strong></p> <p> The learning environment at Ace Institute of Management is supported by facilities that provide comfort as well as easy access to information and knowledge. “Our computer laboratory is fully equipped and every student is provided with Internet access. Furthermore, the entire campus is Wi-Fi enabled facilitating Internet connection from anywhere,” says Tiwari. The library offers a wide range of magazines and journals and is currently well stocked with books related to the subjects covered during the degree. New publications are continuously being added to meet the demands of students. The library has also subscribed to a large range of management publications and journals. Participants in the programmes require an adequate knowledge of computing. The computer centre provides computing facilities to the students from 8:00a.m. to 8:30 p.m. every day, except on Saturdays and Sundays. The computer centre also carries out non-credit courses for beginners. In addition, there is a canteen which offers high quality food and snacks at reasonable prices.</p> <p> <img alt="Ace Institute of Management, ACE" height="377" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_may2013_ace_institute_of_management.jpg" width="580" /></p> <p> </p> <p> <strong>Academic Programmes</strong></p> <ul> <li> EMBA Programme</li> <li> MBA Programme</li> <li> BBA-BI Programme</li> <li> A-Level Programme</li> <li> MBAe Programme </li> </ul> <p> <strong>Vision</strong></p> <ul> <li> Enhance the capacity of individuals and institutions in Nepal to contribute to the nation’s development</li> </ul> <p> <strong>Mission</strong></p> <ul> <li> Promote a learning environment where individuals rediscover themselves and learn to be thoughtful and responsible managers, leaders, and entrepreneurs</li> <li> Promote entrepreneurship and professionalism by assisting entrepreneurs and institutions in acquiring and managing resources effectively</li> </ul> <p> <strong>Philosophy</strong></p> <ul> <li> We believe that one can never learn enough. Learning is a life-long process</li> <li> We believe that knowledge is much more beneficial when accompanied by wisdom and humility</li> <li> We believe that each one of us learns differently and that no particular approach is superior to another</li> <li> We believe that every individual is capable of contributing towards a positive social synergy </li> <li> We believe that we achieve and accomplish more when we compete with self and cooperate with others</li> </ul> <p> <strong>Values</strong></p> <ul> <li> Honesty in work</li> <li> Sincerity in relationships</li> <li> Respect for self and others</li> <li> Responsibility for one’s actions</li> <li> Learning from mistakes</li> <li> Care for resources</li> <li> Adherence to regulations</li> <li> Questioning spirit</li> </ul> <div> <img alt="Ace Institute of Managment, ACE" height="244" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_may2013_ace_institute_of_management(1).jpg" width="590" /></div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2013-05-19', 'modified' => '2013-06-06', 'keywords' => 'Learning Has to Go Much Beyond the Classroom', 'description' => 'Based in excellence and quality, the institution has become successful establishing itself as one of the leading institutions enhancing the capacity of the students.', 'sortorder' => '855', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Warning (2): simplexml_load_file() [<a href='http://php.net/function.simplexml-load-file'>function.simplexml-load-file</a>]: I/O warning : failed to load external entity "" [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60]file not found!Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/indexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '7879', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'Mero Microfinance Financial Literacy Seminar Concludes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: Mero Microfinance Bittiya Sanstha has concluded its financial literacy seminar in Katahariya of Rautahat and Kolwi of Bara. ', 'content' => '<p>April 6: Mero Microfinance Bittiya Sanstha has concluded its financial literacy seminar in Katahariya of Rautahat and Kolwi of Bara. Issuing a statement on Thursday, April 5, the organisation said that the best women's group was rewarded with cash prize. “The microfinance company has invested to help raise the income source,” the statement said.</p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2018-04-06', 'modified' => '2018-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '7660', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '2018-04-06 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '16' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '2642', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'Degrading Higher Education System', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<div> </div> <div> <div> <strong>--By Narayan Prasad Paudel</strong></div> <div> </div> <div> Higher education in Nepal has drawn massive attention and concern from various communities across the nation. If higher education system of the country is reliable, quality conscious, functional and market and need driven, it ultimately serves the greater need of the aspirant youth of the country in materializing their dreams with upgraded level of skill sets that correspond to the rising market potentiality. Nepali youths are facing many problems due to the substandard quality of education provided by most of the education institutions. The focus of education in Nepal is mass-and money-driven, rather than quality - and outcome - driven. Due to serious limitations and lack of focus on the employability of its products, Nepal’s education system is more or less, except for a few exceptions, unable to create hope and happiness across the larger segment of the Nepali society.</div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Universities and their focus </strong></span></div> <div> As of today, Nepal has nine different universities (TU, KU, Pokhara, Purbanchal, Sanskrit, Buddhist, Agriculture, Mid Western and Far Western ) providing higher education. Among these, the oldest and the biggest is Tribhuvan University (TU), established in 1959 by the government, is providing higher education to more than 450,000 students.</div> <div> </div> <div> Sanskrit University, established in December 1986, operates from its central office in Dang district. Kathmandu University (KU), established in 1991, is providing higher education to 4,000 students in its own constituent campuses and 7,500 students from its affiliated colleges.</div> <div> </div> <div> Pokhara University, established in 1997 as Nepal's fifth University, has provided higher education to more than 25,000 students through its affiliated campuses. Purbanchal University established in 1993, operates from its head office in Biratnagar. Along with these two regional universities, Mid Western and Far Western Universities provide higher education in their respective development regions. </div> <div> </div> <div> Besides them, the Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU) and the Lumbini Buddha University (LBU) are other two universities established in Nepal.</div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Current Scenario</strong></span></div> <div> All these universities claim of having good curriculum structure, academic infrastructure and suitable academic environment. Though most of them claim of contributing their best to higher education in Nepal, in reality the scenario is not exactly the same as stated in their documents. </div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Curriculum and focus of Faculties </strong></span></div> <div> Talking about the structure of academic curriculum of these universities, except in few cases, there are plenty of shortcomings. This includes repetition of the same courses at different level of academic programmes. </div> <div> </div> <div> Most courses of many of these universities, developed long back, are still in use without timely adjustment to make them, in line with other foreign universities. Most of the courses, are less market - and need driven and more theory oriented that overweight practical courses. </div> <div> </div> <div> Hotchpotch design of the curriculum that ignore the substance and relevance of the subject matter are some of the apparent weaknesses of the curriculum structure in different Universities in Nepal. </div> <div> </div> <div> However, few of the academic programmes e.g. Institute of Medicine, Institute of Engineering and few of the MBA programmes in the country have been able to blend all the necessary requirement in their curriculum and hence are able to attract and motivate national as well international students.</div> <div> </div> <div> Irresponsible academicians are also huge problems in Nepal. For example, some university professors do not entirely contribute time and energy to their own academic institutions as committed by them and as mentioned in their terms of reference (TOR). This trend has resulted in the creation of many helmet professors, unprofessional consultants and development activists, at the cost of academic professional values. </div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Politics in the Universities</strong></span></div> <div> Many academicians forget their own status and keep in frequent touch with political activist and leaders. They think that they would be rewarded by being appointed for attractive academic and non-academic moneymaking and to so called higher ladder positions in different institutions like vice chancellors, registrars, deans, campus chiefs, advisors, ambassador etc. This greed of the academic community has ultimately exploited themselves as they lose their most productive time in unproductive appointments. </div> <div> </div> <div> We all know that all our universities are ultimately governed by the government. Using the power of governance the Prime Minister (Chancellor) appoints senior leaders of the universities (e.g. Vice Chancellors)on the basis of the prospective candidate’s inclination towards a particular political ideology and the volume of financial contribution that the candidate can make to the political party that the Prime Minister belongs to. Ultimately, the nearer and the dearer of the Prime Minister get appointed to the prestigious position of the vice chancellors. If we examine, the history, except in a few cases, most of the university leaders have attempted to make such appointees happy with exhibiting extra loyalty towards them. </div> <div> </div> <div> As a result the rest of the leaders of the universities including the registrar, dean, department head, campus chiefs are appointed on the basis of instructions given by political leaders and government authority. They start polluting the institution by hiring faculties on contract by not announcing vacancy through public notice. These rampant contract appointments are made at different layers of the academia on the basis of personal relations and by ignoring the competent public masses that could have been selected, if the selections were made through competitive process. And these are ultimately given permanent position as well. </div> <div> </div> <div> Consequently prospective and qualified teaching professionals are denied the opportunity to teach while incompetent faculties appointed against the principles of good governance and with sub standard quality, provide sub-standard education and affect entire performance of the university. This practice, rampant and prevalent in every academic institutions and universities in Nepal, has caused continuous loss of confidence on these institutions. </div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Influence of Student Unions </strong></span></div> <div> Irresponsible activities of the student unions in most of the universities have also resulted in the delivery of sub standard quality and performance of academic programmes. In most cases student union leaders force innocent students to participate in their political activities. Based on instructions provided by the union leaders, students forgo their regular learning activities, involve in activities of political parties and lose their productive time and resources. Otherwise, they would have devoted that time to build their learning ability and gained skills expected by their prospective employers and thereby build basis to lead their dream life. </div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>The way forward </strong></span></div> <div> Neither political leaders nor government institutions are responsible, nor the academic communities, teachers and students at large, are honestly eager to maintain and upgrade the integrity of the national academia. We are losing our face in the international academic community. Substandard outcome of these programmes has ultimately resulted into greater un-employability, which has led to anxiety, frustration, and depression among the youth and forced them to migrate abroad for employment in menial jobs. </div> <div> What would be the panacea for the aforesaid problems? The ultimate answer is commitment, dedication, and greater focus on responsibility and accountability, from all stakeholders. This would ultimately refine prevailing degrading professional practices rampant in our education system. We all need to improve ourselves, firstly be removing unwanted greed for money and power and secondly by uplifting our professional competencies and qualities through lifelong learning. Faculties need to focus on training, exposure activities, research and publications that would positively contribute to the overall performance of entire community. Society should play greater role to correct the unwanted behaviour of concerned authorities through constant review of an institution’s performance and activities. Government should build highest level of integrity and morale. Government leaders should be free from the unnecessary greed for power and resources. </div> <div> </div> <div> The crux of the problem is our political system, which needs to be overhauled. All political leaders need to frame their role model behaviour and should attempt to exhibit and practice in real life. They should hesitate to infiltrate pure academic environment with party politics, otherwise they would be entirely held accountable for the degrading academic performance. We can refine the political machinery of the nation, if we all have strong commitment to uplift academic height in line with developed countries. The principle of sacrifice and contribution should be embedded in the performance of both political and academic leaders.</div> <div> </div> <div> <em>(Narayan Prasad Paudel, Ph.D, is Assistant Professor, Kathmandu University School of Management. Email: narayan@kusom.edu.np.)</em></div> </div> <div> </div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2014-02-20', 'modified' => '2014-02-20', 'keywords' => 'new business age business education news & articles, business education news & articles from new business age nepal, business education headlines from nepal, current and latest business education news from nepal, economic news from nepal, nepali business education economic news and events, ongoing', 'description' => 'The focus of education in Nepal is mass and money driven, rather than quality and outcome driven.', 'sortorder' => '2482', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '1071', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'ICA Gives Flavours Of Openness', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p> </p> <p> <strong>By Bhawani Timilsina</strong></p> <p> Young professionals find it difficult to further their academic careers as it requires managing work and study simultaneously. Open universities are gaining huge popularity among such professionals. The International Centre for Academic (ICA) has been helping such young professionals to pursue their academic dreams since its inception in 1997.</p> <p> A majority of Nepali students are quite familiar with the idea of working and studying together. However, it is a task easier said than done. Binayak Shrestha was 23 when he felt the need to enhance his academic strength for career growth. But he found it difficult to continue study and work simultaneously. Then a friend suggested him to visit ICA which runs classes for courses offered by Indira Gandhi Open University, (IGNOU). Shrestha completed his degree back in 2008. He shares, “The experience of studying at ICA helped me enhance my academic qualification and build up confidence in a completely open and flexible environment. The advancement in technology supported me and my friends to get quality education while continuing our jobs.</p> <p> The revolution in the information and communications technology has brought about a sea change in the teaching and learning system. Universities around the world are making their education ‘open’ to all; technology has made it possible for students to earn degrees without physically attending these universities. Open universities offer openness in selecting courses without the barrier of “prerequisites and essentials.” The demand of open universities has been growing around the world.</p> <p> Paridhi Acharya, 26, completed her post graduation from ICA in 2010. What made her select a course of an open university was flexible environment that it provides, especially for those students who want to take work and study side by side. “I am thrilled that I got a degree from such a renowned university and completed my post graduation securing high marks,” says one of the gold medallists of ICA.</p> <p> ICA is a partner institution of IGNOU which is one of the most popular educational institutions in India, offering inclusive education to students since its establishment in 1985.Being one of the pioneers in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in Nepal, ICA has been actively involved in resource development and research and publications related to the ODL system. So far, ICA has helped thousands of students get internationally acclaimed degrees.Students who want flexibility in study are highly attracted by distance–learning programmes, which often rely on pre–prepared study materials instead of lecturers on a daily basis. </p> <p> <img alt="ICA Gives Flavours of Openness" height="308" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_jue2013_ics_classroom(1).jpg" style="margin:0 10px 0 0;" width="595" /></p> <p> ICA presently offers 44 different Academic, Value Added and Awareness programmes through ODL mode in Management, Humanities & Social Science, Tourism, Computer Science, Journalism and Mass Communication, Education, Rural Development, Health Science, Social Work, Gender and Development Studies, Extension and Development Studies, Continuing Education etc. Currently, the cumulative student strength of ICA is more than 1200. The learners enrolled at ICA are freshers or professionals from diverse fields such as hospitality, financial institutions, telecoms, corporate houses, embassies and diplomatic agencies etc. ICA also offers such programmes in collaboration with government and non government agencies through an arrangement of programme specific Work Centres and a strong network of Learner Support Centres located in different parts of Nepal.</p> <p> <strong>Premium courses of IGNOU:</strong></p> <p> MBA/Management Programme aimed at graduates from any stream who may/may not be working but would like to pursue a career in Management. </p> <p> MEG aimed at providing learners with a sound base in language as well as exposure to a wide range of literature, with options for specialisation in a particular area. The learners are expected to develop confidence in their critical and analytical abilities.</p> <p> MCA aimed at preparing graduate students for productive careers in software industry and academia by providing an outstanding environment for teaching and research in the core and emerging areas of the discipline.</p> <p> MARD or MA Programme in Rural Development (MARD) is designed to include such diverse academic contents that are essential in the making of this discipline in the Indian Context. A critical component of this Programme is dissertation based on empirical research in rural areas. The Programme will be useful for personnel working in various Govt. Departments/agencies, NGOs, Cooperatives, Banks and other institutions engaged in rural transformation. It will also be beneficial for fresh graduates interested in pursuing careers in the discipline of rural development.</p> <p> PGDJMC or Post-Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication provides opportunities for working media personnel to enhance their knowledge and skills for their professional development</p> <p> B. Ed. aimed to systematize experiences and strengthen the professional competency of in-service teachers, to imbibe the knowledge and develop understanding of various methods and approaches of organizing learning experiences of secondary school students, to develop skills required in selection and organizing learning experiences, to understand the nature of the learner and the learning processes, to develop skills required for dealing with the academic and personal problems of learners, etc.</p> <p> BCA aimed at opening a channel of admission for computing courses for students, who have done the 10+2 and are interested in taking computing/IT as a career. After acquiring the Bachelor’s Degree (BCA) at IGNOU, there is further educational opportunity to go for an MCA at IGNOU or a Master’s Programme at any other university/institute. Also, after completing BCA Programme, a student should be able to get an entry level job in the field of Information Technology or ITES.</p> <p> BTS aimed at providing knowledge, competence, and skills in the professional area of tourism at the Bachelor’s Degree level. This programme, like other Bachelor’s Degree Programmes, can be completed in three years.</p> <p> BA or Bachelors Degree Programme which admits students from both formal and non-formal streams. The non-formal stream consists of those students who have not cleared 10+2 or an equivalent exam. To get admitted to IGNOU’s degree programme, they have to pass its Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme (BPP) first.</p> <p> B. Com., in which students without a formal qualification of 10+2 or its equivalent can also seek admission and they can study at their own pace and convenience over a period of three to six years.</p> <p> Students also get basic knowledge in the core areas of humanities, social sciences, computers and science & technology as there are some compulsory foundation courses. Besides selective courses in commerce there is flexibility to choose courses from a wide range of other disciplines.</p> <p> DCE or Diploma Programme in Creative Writing in English provides understanding, skills and professional knowledge about the art of writing and develops the creative ability of those interested in a professional career as a freelance writer. The curriculum is structured to impart instruction in progressive stages so as to ensure that a learner can assimilate information about a writer’s art and develop his/her creative ability. This Programme includes training in imaginative writing skills in relation to feature articles (women’s issues, book reviews, etc), writing short stories, and scripts for TV/Radio, and writing poetry.</p> <p> DTS, which provides the learners with the facility to specialize in the chosen operational areas in tourism studies and helps them acquire the associated skills. </p> <p> BPP, which is a Programme offered to those students who wish to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree of IGNOU but do not have the essential qualification of having passed 10+2. Without such a qualifying certificate, these students are deprived of higher education. To enable such students to enter higher education stream, IGNOU has designed this preparatory programme. </p> <div> <hr /> </div> <p> <strong><br /> </strong></p> <p> <strong>‘We plan to add more programmes’</strong></p> <div> <strong style="font-size: 12px;"><img alt="Biswajit Mukherjee, Chairperson / MD ICA" height="315" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_jue2013_ics_chairperson_biswajit.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 0 0;" width="200" />How long have been the journey of ICA in Nepal and its association with IGNOU?</strong></div> <div> <p> ICA was established 16 years ago in 1997. We are associated with IGNOU since 2002. </p> <p> <strong>What are milestones of this journey, most memorable moments or developments?</strong></p> <p> First, induction meeting for the 1st Batch of 22 learners of IGNOU from Nepal that was held in January 2003 at Dharan. It marked the start of IGNOU’s journey in Nepal. We owe thanks to all the 22 first-batch learners who believed in us though we did not have any official recognition from the government back then. </p> <p> IGNOU awarded us the Best Overseas Partner Institution 2010 for the best services at the 22nd Convocation of the university held on April 2, 2011. Recently, we received the Best Overseas Partner Institution 2013 Award for the Best Services from the university at the 26th Convocation held at IGNOU headquarters in New Delhi on April 12, 2013 which was provided by the President of India, H.E. Pranab Mukherjee. Our hard work finally paid off; ICA’s association with IGNOU has grown stronger and stronger. We are now more determined and motivated to providing better services to our learners.</p> <p> <strong>You offer both Degree and Diploma education. How do they differ in content and status? </strong></p> <p> Degrees are more academic in nature; the curriculum is so structured that the person undergoing the course is provided an overview of several subjects apart from one subject that the person may be interested in exploring further for both career and academic interests. It is of longer duration like 2-3 years. Diplomas focus on getting a person trained and qualified in a particular business or trade. Some of them even include a short stint of apprenticeships and on-the-job training. They are of shorter duration - maximum one <span style="font-size: 12px;">to one and a half years.</span></p> <p> <strong>Are these degrees equivalent to those from TU and KU in content, legality and industry recognition?</strong></p> <p> Yes all our degrees are equivalent to those from TU, KU and other universities of Nepal. Our centre is also approved by the Ministry of Education, Government of Nepal. I also take this opportunity to inform our readers that IGNOU degrees have been enjoying global recognition much before they were recognized by Nepal. It is also one of the enlisted universities by the United Nations.</p> <p> <strong>What are teaching and evaluating methods, tools and systems you use? </strong></p> <p> Yes, we very strictly follow the evaluation tools and methods prescribed by IGNOU and have developed a few of our own systems too which we have implemented with IGNOU’s approval. Such measures have enhanced the quality of evaluation and feedback provided to the learners.</p> <p> <strong>Who are your faculty? </strong></p> <p> Our faculties are the professors/ lecturers/ professionals associated with some of the leading universities or MNC’s of Nepal and India. We try to make sure that we have the best of the best faculties who are competent enough to handle the subject matter through the ODL system. We consider our faculties on a par and, in some cases, even more competent than the faculties of conventional universities or colleges on handling ODL system much better. </p> <p> <strong>What recognitions and accreditations does ICA have?</strong></p> <p> ICA is approved by the Ministry of Education, Government of Nepal. IGNOU degrees obtained through ICA are recognized by TU and KU. We are also the only member of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) from Nepal.</p> <p> <strong>What are your future plans?</strong></p> <p> We do have some big plans for the future. Now that we have been successful in establishing ourselves as one of the pioneer institutions for Open and Distance Education in Nepal, we plan to add more programmes relevant to our context and society each academic year. We have established Learner Support Centres (LSCs) at four different locations in Nepal and intend to establish more LSC in other parts of the country too so that more and more students from outside the valley can benefit. </p> <p> We are now quite seriously thinking to invest more in technology so that we can take education to the door steps of every Nepali. We are trying to establish a research centre in association with IGNOU. It’s been a long-standing request of ours with IGNOU in order to develop skilled human resource required for the ODL system, development of courses appropriate for the Nepali context and contextualization of some of the existing courses.</p> <hr /> <div> </div> <p> <strong>‘Ours is <span style="font-size: 12px;">learner-centric learning process’</span></strong></p> <p> <strong><img alt="Amit Giri, CEO, ICA" height="290" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_jue2013_ics_ceo_amit.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 0 0;" width="200" />How does one study without attending classes?</strong></p> <p> Open and Distance Learning is basically an arrangement which enables a learner to study at the time, place and pace of their choice according to their circumstances and requirements. Hence, attending a class is not an issue. Moreover, the learners after admission receive specially-designed materials called Self Learning Materials (SLM) from the university. The teacher is inbuilt. The learners can comprehend by just going through the SLM. </p> <p> To supplement the learner’s understanding of the subject matter, we organise Academic Counselling Sessions on Saturdays where learners get their queries answered and doubts cleared. Attending these sessions is, however, not mandatory. </p> <p> <strong>What is the difference between studying at a regular college and at an open university?</strong></p> <p> The basic difference is that in a regular college a learner has to attend classes where attendance is mandatory. It is a teacher-centric process for learning. There are restrictions of age, qualifications and physical presence. Costing is rarely done on cost-effective and efficient basis. In an Open University, physical presence is not mandatory. Ours is more learner-centric and provides a more flexible access to education. It is both cost-effective and efficient system for education. Multi-media and multiple methods are widely used.</p> <p> <strong>Are the degrees of open universities recognized and accepted by the industry?</strong></p> <p> Yes degrees of IGNOU obtained through ICA are recognized in Nepal and globally. A number of our graduates are absorbed in Nepal and abroad. The latest research shows that in countries like the UK, Australia, and the United States, graduates from Open Universities are in demand in the job market. The degrees are recognized and accepted universally. In Canada the degrees of IGNOU are assessed and recognized by the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) and it is one of the universities listed by the United Nations.</p> <p> <strong>What is the evaluation mechanism?</strong></p> <p> Evaluation of learners is done i) through assignments which carry 30 per cent weight in the final grades of the leaner. ii) On the basis of an examination conducted at the expiry of the minimum duration prescribed for the concerned course called Term End Examination (TEE) which carries 70 per cent weight towards the final grades of the learner. iii) The University may also prescribe courses, specific project works, field work and practical assignments for the learners. </p> <p> <strong>Where are the Term End Exams held?</strong></p> <p> They are generally held in the month of June and December every year. At present, there are two exam centres in Nepal i) Exam Centre Code: 9601, Biratnagar ii) Exams Centre Code: 9602, Kendriya Vidyalay, on the premises of the Embassy of India, Kathmandu. Exams at both centres are conducted under the overall supervision of the Embassy of India. One can also take the exams from centres in 43 countries and through the Indian missions in countries with no IGNOU centres.</p> <p> <strong>Why do you at all have entry restrictions in an ‘Open System’?</strong></p> <p> The University is concerned about the acceptability of students in society hence they have to ensure equivalence of the degrees/diplomas of IGNOU with that of the conventional universities. So, they have to keep restrictions, e.g. one has to be a 10+2 for joining BA/B.Com/BSc, but that 10+2 need not be with a threshold marks. In other words, restrictions are there but they are minimal</p> <p> <strong>We have heard that one can graduate from IGNOU even without the 10+2 education. Is it really possible?</strong></p> <p> Yes, if you are 18 or above, you may join our Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme (BPP). It is a six- month programme where you have to select any two from three preparatory courses in social sciences, commerce and mathematics. If you qualify, you may join Under Graduate (Besides Science Streams), short-term skill development and value-added programmes and any academic programme of IGNOU for which (10+2) is the minimum educational requirement. </p> <p> <strong>Does it mean that BPP is equivalent to 10+2?</strong></p> <p> <span style="font-size: 12px;">Not at all. It is only an enabling mechanism (bridge course) for joining graduation and some other programmes of IGNOU by those who for some reason or the other had missed the opportunity of completing school or higher education.</span></p> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /> </span></div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2013-06-07', 'modified' => '2013-06-07', 'keywords' => 'ICA Gives Flavours Of Openness, Business Education', 'description' => 'Open universities are gaining huge popularity among such professionals. The International Centre for Academic (ICA) has been helping young professionals to pursue their academic dreams since its inception in 1997.', 'sortorder' => '943', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '1072', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'Towards Solutions In Higher Education System', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p> <strong><br /> </strong></p> <p> <strong>By Dr A K Sen Gupta</strong></p> <p> The higher education system and institutions operating therein are passing through a great crisis of identity. The situation is more or less equally turbulent in all parts of the world. The most important stakeholders i.e. the students are often terms as Gen Y whose attitudes and attributes are at complete variance with those of Gen X i.e. the earlier generation. The differing and rising expectations of this new generation from the system in general and society at large call for different types of stimulus so that the response is positive. The Gen Y students are often with unexpected demands and fathomless expectations; they are restless and continuously looking for something different, difficult and complex. Domino effect is quite visible in terms of tangible gains and short-term material benefits. </p> <p> Consequently, there are several problems that are encountered by higher education institutions (HEIs). First, since majority of the teachers are from earlier generation, it is difficult for them to appreciate & empathize with students of Gen Y as regards their attitude to life including their behaviour in class room. Second, the conflicting value systems of both the teachers and taught (two different generations) many a times give rise to situations of misunderstanding, if not confrontation. And finally, Generation Y students do not perceive any value addition in their personal as well as professional lives from Gen X teachers as they feel that the competencies of earlier generation may not be useful in developing the skill sets required for 21st Century. The resultant effects are sometimes disastrous: confrontation, alienation, disinterest in studies, absenteeism, among others. My interaction with students and faculty from a large number of HEIs in different parts of the developing world shows a disturbing trend of increased misunderstanding between the teachers (Gen X) and students (Gen Y).Being the centres of learning, the HEIs must foster a proper and conducive environment of understanding between the teachers & learners where teachers enjoy teaching and students enjoy learning. Only such a climate can breed innovation and lay foundation stone for the economic and social growth of the country.</p> <p> In such an environment, the only solution lies in empowering the students of the HEIs where they are involved in all decision making processes of managing the respective HEI. The existing emotion of alienation arises from the feeling of being supervised & guided by people who, according to them, are not competent being from a generation that does not understand their values & feelings. Therefore, the best way to solve this complex problem is to create an institutional mechanism whereby the students take their own decisions as regards their destiny inside the HEI. These include:</p> <ol> <li> <strong>What should be taught?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>How it should be taught?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>Who should teach?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>What types of competencies / skill sets they would like to develop for themselves?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>What types of external interventions are needed to develop such competencies?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>What type of learning environment they would like to have?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>What facilities they would like to have?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>How much fees are desirable considering all the facilities?<br /> </strong></li> </ol> <p> <span style="font-size: 12px;">This essentially means that the students should decide what is best suited for them. The idea is to augment the student engagementthrough empowerment in the learning & administrative processes so that they becomemore responsible as well as accountable.The axiom is: let students (in close coordination with teachers) run the institution and decide for themselves what is best for them. It is parallel to employees running a company. </span></p> <p> The ideas suggested are indeed revolutionary in nature but worth implementing to bring down the sense of alienation of students from the educational system. To sum up, what is being suggested is not a mere structural change in managing HEIs but a paradigm shift in running educational institutions where the consumers co-create the brand and its value propositions.</p> <p> <strong>Couple of issues become critical in this regard:</strong></p> <ul> <li> Students are expected to be mature and responsible to take upon the onus of partly managing and running the institution both at macro and at micro level. Student Councils or Student Unions have been successful instruments / models in this regard in many educational institutions in different countries. But, these Councils in many places are either political or ineffective. What is needed is to make them active and involved in decision making processes. The experimentation of senior responsible positions like Vice Principals (or Deputy Directors) being created from among the students on a rotation basis, may be tried.</li> <li> Teachers and managements of the HEIs should accept this experimentation on a serious note. As this would make the system open and transparent, it might create volatility at least to begin with. </li> <li> In such a scenario there should be a person designated as Mentor who is acceptable to all in case of any difference of opinion and who may be able to take care of all possible disputes.</li> <li> Simultaneously, there should also be the concept ofreverse mentoring whereby the Gen Y can guide / mould the shape of things to come through proper interaction with Gen X teachers / management, the ideas / solutions coming from the former for a change and implemented by the latter. </li> </ul> <div> <span style="font-size:10px;">Authored by Dr A K Sen Gupta, Founder and Convener, Higher Education Forum (HEF), the largest on-line community of higher educational professionals on a global scale. His past assignments include Director of leading B-Schools in India, World Bank Consultant and Professor at National Institute of Bank Management (NIBM), Pune, India.</span></div> <div> <span style="font-size:10px;"><br /> </span></div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2013-06-07', 'modified' => '2013-06-07', 'keywords' => 'Towards Solutions In Higher Education System, Business Education, AK Sen gupta, New Business Age, June 2013', 'description' => 'Empowering students is the ultimate solution in this age of information boom and increased democratization of education.', 'sortorder' => '942', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '980', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'Learning Has To Go Much Beyond The Classroom', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p> <strong>By Bhawani Timilsina</strong></p> <p> Ace Institute of Management has completed more than a decade in the field of management education, which has now become the most aspiring career option for students.</p> <p> <span style="font-size: 12px;">Learning has to go much beyond the classroom. This is the basic mantra of the institution and also what makes it different from other (growing numbers of) business schools across the country. The institution is probably best known for its teaching methodology, but it merely excels in producing not only good managers but also good human beings as well. </span></p> <p> Ashish Tiwari, Director of the Institution, says, “The main focus of the institution is on imparting the practice oriented teaching methodology.” The institution has robust management courses ranging from BBA to Executive MBA. The college emphasizes the shaping of professionals who eventually will become successful, effective leaders. </p> <p> Established in 1999, the institution has built a reputation of conscientious learning centre among students who want to pursue management courses. <span style="font-size: 12px;">Based in excellence and quality, the institution has become successful establishing itself as one of the leading institutions enhancing the capacity of the students.</span></p> <p> The college has launched an Executive-MBA course for the first time in the country. The MBA programme has acquired a distinguished reputation for being the most rigorous and fulfilling experience. The undergraduate programmes, BBA and BBA-BI, are considered among the best in the country. Students completing undergraduate programmes in ACE are widely sought after in the job market, claims the institution. In a short span of four years Ace A-Level has distinguished itself from the crowd with its individual centered approach to learning and its focus on management and social sciences stream only. </p> <p> Tiwari adds, ‘These thirteen years have been extremely rewarding and we continue with our vision and commitment to value based management education which has strong relevance to real life. We are deeply committed to promoting a learning environment where individuals rediscover themselves and learn to be thoughtful and responsible managers, leaders and entrepreneurs. We will continue to provide our students with opportunities to explore and develop their potential so that they can make their mark in whatever they do.”</p> <p> “Learning Strategy of our institution is guided by our philosophy that each one of us learns differently and that no one’s approach is superior to another, we encourage students to take responsibility for their learning,” he added.</p> <p> Teachers are encouraged to serve as facilitators, helping students learn rather than teach them. <span style="font-size: 12px;">Educational methods such as lectures, small group exercises, management games, work projects, case studies and presentations are used. Computers, statistical kits and audio visual aids are also extensively used.</span></p> <p> Lecture sessions are interactive and students are encouraged to participate using case analysis and presentations, reviews and feedback and project works involving studies of real organizations. <span style="font-size: 12px;">The quality of students churns out year after year</span><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span></p> <p> <strong><span style="font-size: 12px;">Facilities</span></strong></p> <p> The learning environment at Ace Institute of Management is supported by facilities that provide comfort as well as easy access to information and knowledge. “Our computer laboratory is fully equipped and every student is provided with Internet access. Furthermore, the entire campus is Wi-Fi enabled facilitating Internet connection from anywhere,” says Tiwari. The library offers a wide range of magazines and journals and is currently well stocked with books related to the subjects covered during the degree. New publications are continuously being added to meet the demands of students. The library has also subscribed to a large range of management publications and journals. Participants in the programmes require an adequate knowledge of computing. The computer centre provides computing facilities to the students from 8:00a.m. to 8:30 p.m. every day, except on Saturdays and Sundays. The computer centre also carries out non-credit courses for beginners. In addition, there is a canteen which offers high quality food and snacks at reasonable prices.</p> <p> <img alt="Ace Institute of Management, ACE" height="377" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_may2013_ace_institute_of_management.jpg" width="580" /></p> <p> </p> <p> <strong>Academic Programmes</strong></p> <ul> <li> EMBA Programme</li> <li> MBA Programme</li> <li> BBA-BI Programme</li> <li> A-Level Programme</li> <li> MBAe Programme </li> </ul> <p> <strong>Vision</strong></p> <ul> <li> Enhance the capacity of individuals and institutions in Nepal to contribute to the nation’s development</li> </ul> <p> <strong>Mission</strong></p> <ul> <li> Promote a learning environment where individuals rediscover themselves and learn to be thoughtful and responsible managers, leaders, and entrepreneurs</li> <li> Promote entrepreneurship and professionalism by assisting entrepreneurs and institutions in acquiring and managing resources effectively</li> </ul> <p> <strong>Philosophy</strong></p> <ul> <li> We believe that one can never learn enough. Learning is a life-long process</li> <li> We believe that knowledge is much more beneficial when accompanied by wisdom and humility</li> <li> We believe that each one of us learns differently and that no particular approach is superior to another</li> <li> We believe that every individual is capable of contributing towards a positive social synergy </li> <li> We believe that we achieve and accomplish more when we compete with self and cooperate with others</li> </ul> <p> <strong>Values</strong></p> <ul> <li> Honesty in work</li> <li> Sincerity in relationships</li> <li> Respect for self and others</li> <li> Responsibility for one’s actions</li> <li> Learning from mistakes</li> <li> Care for resources</li> <li> Adherence to regulations</li> <li> Questioning spirit</li> </ul> <div> <img alt="Ace Institute of Managment, ACE" height="244" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_may2013_ace_institute_of_management(1).jpg" width="590" /></div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2013-05-19', 'modified' => '2013-06-06', 'keywords' => 'Learning Has to Go Much Beyond the Classroom', 'description' => 'Based in excellence and quality, the institution has become successful establishing itself as one of the leading institutions enhancing the capacity of the students.', 'sortorder' => '855', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Notice (8): Undefined variable: file [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133]Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/subindexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '7879', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'Mero Microfinance Financial Literacy Seminar Concludes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: Mero Microfinance Bittiya Sanstha has concluded its financial literacy seminar in Katahariya of Rautahat and Kolwi of Bara. ', 'content' => '<p>April 6: Mero Microfinance Bittiya Sanstha has concluded its financial literacy seminar in Katahariya of Rautahat and Kolwi of Bara. Issuing a statement on Thursday, April 5, the organisation said that the best women's group was rewarded with cash prize. “The microfinance company has invested to help raise the income source,” the statement said.</p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2018-04-06', 'modified' => '2018-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '7660', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '2018-04-06 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '16' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '2642', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'Degrading Higher Education System', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<div> </div> <div> <div> <strong>--By Narayan Prasad Paudel</strong></div> <div> </div> <div> Higher education in Nepal has drawn massive attention and concern from various communities across the nation. If higher education system of the country is reliable, quality conscious, functional and market and need driven, it ultimately serves the greater need of the aspirant youth of the country in materializing their dreams with upgraded level of skill sets that correspond to the rising market potentiality. Nepali youths are facing many problems due to the substandard quality of education provided by most of the education institutions. The focus of education in Nepal is mass-and money-driven, rather than quality - and outcome - driven. Due to serious limitations and lack of focus on the employability of its products, Nepal’s education system is more or less, except for a few exceptions, unable to create hope and happiness across the larger segment of the Nepali society.</div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Universities and their focus </strong></span></div> <div> As of today, Nepal has nine different universities (TU, KU, Pokhara, Purbanchal, Sanskrit, Buddhist, Agriculture, Mid Western and Far Western ) providing higher education. Among these, the oldest and the biggest is Tribhuvan University (TU), established in 1959 by the government, is providing higher education to more than 450,000 students.</div> <div> </div> <div> Sanskrit University, established in December 1986, operates from its central office in Dang district. Kathmandu University (KU), established in 1991, is providing higher education to 4,000 students in its own constituent campuses and 7,500 students from its affiliated colleges.</div> <div> </div> <div> Pokhara University, established in 1997 as Nepal's fifth University, has provided higher education to more than 25,000 students through its affiliated campuses. Purbanchal University established in 1993, operates from its head office in Biratnagar. Along with these two regional universities, Mid Western and Far Western Universities provide higher education in their respective development regions. </div> <div> </div> <div> Besides them, the Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU) and the Lumbini Buddha University (LBU) are other two universities established in Nepal.</div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Current Scenario</strong></span></div> <div> All these universities claim of having good curriculum structure, academic infrastructure and suitable academic environment. Though most of them claim of contributing their best to higher education in Nepal, in reality the scenario is not exactly the same as stated in their documents. </div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Curriculum and focus of Faculties </strong></span></div> <div> Talking about the structure of academic curriculum of these universities, except in few cases, there are plenty of shortcomings. This includes repetition of the same courses at different level of academic programmes. </div> <div> </div> <div> Most courses of many of these universities, developed long back, are still in use without timely adjustment to make them, in line with other foreign universities. Most of the courses, are less market - and need driven and more theory oriented that overweight practical courses. </div> <div> </div> <div> Hotchpotch design of the curriculum that ignore the substance and relevance of the subject matter are some of the apparent weaknesses of the curriculum structure in different Universities in Nepal. </div> <div> </div> <div> However, few of the academic programmes e.g. Institute of Medicine, Institute of Engineering and few of the MBA programmes in the country have been able to blend all the necessary requirement in their curriculum and hence are able to attract and motivate national as well international students.</div> <div> </div> <div> Irresponsible academicians are also huge problems in Nepal. For example, some university professors do not entirely contribute time and energy to their own academic institutions as committed by them and as mentioned in their terms of reference (TOR). This trend has resulted in the creation of many helmet professors, unprofessional consultants and development activists, at the cost of academic professional values. </div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Politics in the Universities</strong></span></div> <div> Many academicians forget their own status and keep in frequent touch with political activist and leaders. They think that they would be rewarded by being appointed for attractive academic and non-academic moneymaking and to so called higher ladder positions in different institutions like vice chancellors, registrars, deans, campus chiefs, advisors, ambassador etc. This greed of the academic community has ultimately exploited themselves as they lose their most productive time in unproductive appointments. </div> <div> </div> <div> We all know that all our universities are ultimately governed by the government. Using the power of governance the Prime Minister (Chancellor) appoints senior leaders of the universities (e.g. Vice Chancellors)on the basis of the prospective candidate’s inclination towards a particular political ideology and the volume of financial contribution that the candidate can make to the political party that the Prime Minister belongs to. Ultimately, the nearer and the dearer of the Prime Minister get appointed to the prestigious position of the vice chancellors. If we examine, the history, except in a few cases, most of the university leaders have attempted to make such appointees happy with exhibiting extra loyalty towards them. </div> <div> </div> <div> As a result the rest of the leaders of the universities including the registrar, dean, department head, campus chiefs are appointed on the basis of instructions given by political leaders and government authority. They start polluting the institution by hiring faculties on contract by not announcing vacancy through public notice. These rampant contract appointments are made at different layers of the academia on the basis of personal relations and by ignoring the competent public masses that could have been selected, if the selections were made through competitive process. And these are ultimately given permanent position as well. </div> <div> </div> <div> Consequently prospective and qualified teaching professionals are denied the opportunity to teach while incompetent faculties appointed against the principles of good governance and with sub standard quality, provide sub-standard education and affect entire performance of the university. This practice, rampant and prevalent in every academic institutions and universities in Nepal, has caused continuous loss of confidence on these institutions. </div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Influence of Student Unions </strong></span></div> <div> Irresponsible activities of the student unions in most of the universities have also resulted in the delivery of sub standard quality and performance of academic programmes. In most cases student union leaders force innocent students to participate in their political activities. Based on instructions provided by the union leaders, students forgo their regular learning activities, involve in activities of political parties and lose their productive time and resources. Otherwise, they would have devoted that time to build their learning ability and gained skills expected by their prospective employers and thereby build basis to lead their dream life. </div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>The way forward </strong></span></div> <div> Neither political leaders nor government institutions are responsible, nor the academic communities, teachers and students at large, are honestly eager to maintain and upgrade the integrity of the national academia. We are losing our face in the international academic community. Substandard outcome of these programmes has ultimately resulted into greater un-employability, which has led to anxiety, frustration, and depression among the youth and forced them to migrate abroad for employment in menial jobs. </div> <div> What would be the panacea for the aforesaid problems? The ultimate answer is commitment, dedication, and greater focus on responsibility and accountability, from all stakeholders. This would ultimately refine prevailing degrading professional practices rampant in our education system. We all need to improve ourselves, firstly be removing unwanted greed for money and power and secondly by uplifting our professional competencies and qualities through lifelong learning. Faculties need to focus on training, exposure activities, research and publications that would positively contribute to the overall performance of entire community. Society should play greater role to correct the unwanted behaviour of concerned authorities through constant review of an institution’s performance and activities. Government should build highest level of integrity and morale. Government leaders should be free from the unnecessary greed for power and resources. </div> <div> </div> <div> The crux of the problem is our political system, which needs to be overhauled. All political leaders need to frame their role model behaviour and should attempt to exhibit and practice in real life. They should hesitate to infiltrate pure academic environment with party politics, otherwise they would be entirely held accountable for the degrading academic performance. We can refine the political machinery of the nation, if we all have strong commitment to uplift academic height in line with developed countries. The principle of sacrifice and contribution should be embedded in the performance of both political and academic leaders.</div> <div> </div> <div> <em>(Narayan Prasad Paudel, Ph.D, is Assistant Professor, Kathmandu University School of Management. Email: narayan@kusom.edu.np.)</em></div> </div> <div> </div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2014-02-20', 'modified' => '2014-02-20', 'keywords' => 'new business age business education news & articles, business education news & articles from new business age nepal, business education headlines from nepal, current and latest business education news from nepal, economic news from nepal, nepali business education economic news and events, ongoing', 'description' => 'The focus of education in Nepal is mass and money driven, rather than quality and outcome driven.', 'sortorder' => '2482', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '1071', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'ICA Gives Flavours Of Openness', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p> </p> <p> <strong>By Bhawani Timilsina</strong></p> <p> Young professionals find it difficult to further their academic careers as it requires managing work and study simultaneously. Open universities are gaining huge popularity among such professionals. The International Centre for Academic (ICA) has been helping such young professionals to pursue their academic dreams since its inception in 1997.</p> <p> A majority of Nepali students are quite familiar with the idea of working and studying together. However, it is a task easier said than done. Binayak Shrestha was 23 when he felt the need to enhance his academic strength for career growth. But he found it difficult to continue study and work simultaneously. Then a friend suggested him to visit ICA which runs classes for courses offered by Indira Gandhi Open University, (IGNOU). Shrestha completed his degree back in 2008. He shares, “The experience of studying at ICA helped me enhance my academic qualification and build up confidence in a completely open and flexible environment. The advancement in technology supported me and my friends to get quality education while continuing our jobs.</p> <p> The revolution in the information and communications technology has brought about a sea change in the teaching and learning system. Universities around the world are making their education ‘open’ to all; technology has made it possible for students to earn degrees without physically attending these universities. Open universities offer openness in selecting courses without the barrier of “prerequisites and essentials.” The demand of open universities has been growing around the world.</p> <p> Paridhi Acharya, 26, completed her post graduation from ICA in 2010. What made her select a course of an open university was flexible environment that it provides, especially for those students who want to take work and study side by side. “I am thrilled that I got a degree from such a renowned university and completed my post graduation securing high marks,” says one of the gold medallists of ICA.</p> <p> ICA is a partner institution of IGNOU which is one of the most popular educational institutions in India, offering inclusive education to students since its establishment in 1985.Being one of the pioneers in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in Nepal, ICA has been actively involved in resource development and research and publications related to the ODL system. So far, ICA has helped thousands of students get internationally acclaimed degrees.Students who want flexibility in study are highly attracted by distance–learning programmes, which often rely on pre–prepared study materials instead of lecturers on a daily basis. </p> <p> <img alt="ICA Gives Flavours of Openness" height="308" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_jue2013_ics_classroom(1).jpg" style="margin:0 10px 0 0;" width="595" /></p> <p> ICA presently offers 44 different Academic, Value Added and Awareness programmes through ODL mode in Management, Humanities & Social Science, Tourism, Computer Science, Journalism and Mass Communication, Education, Rural Development, Health Science, Social Work, Gender and Development Studies, Extension and Development Studies, Continuing Education etc. Currently, the cumulative student strength of ICA is more than 1200. The learners enrolled at ICA are freshers or professionals from diverse fields such as hospitality, financial institutions, telecoms, corporate houses, embassies and diplomatic agencies etc. ICA also offers such programmes in collaboration with government and non government agencies through an arrangement of programme specific Work Centres and a strong network of Learner Support Centres located in different parts of Nepal.</p> <p> <strong>Premium courses of IGNOU:</strong></p> <p> MBA/Management Programme aimed at graduates from any stream who may/may not be working but would like to pursue a career in Management. </p> <p> MEG aimed at providing learners with a sound base in language as well as exposure to a wide range of literature, with options for specialisation in a particular area. The learners are expected to develop confidence in their critical and analytical abilities.</p> <p> MCA aimed at preparing graduate students for productive careers in software industry and academia by providing an outstanding environment for teaching and research in the core and emerging areas of the discipline.</p> <p> MARD or MA Programme in Rural Development (MARD) is designed to include such diverse academic contents that are essential in the making of this discipline in the Indian Context. A critical component of this Programme is dissertation based on empirical research in rural areas. The Programme will be useful for personnel working in various Govt. Departments/agencies, NGOs, Cooperatives, Banks and other institutions engaged in rural transformation. It will also be beneficial for fresh graduates interested in pursuing careers in the discipline of rural development.</p> <p> PGDJMC or Post-Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication provides opportunities for working media personnel to enhance their knowledge and skills for their professional development</p> <p> B. Ed. aimed to systematize experiences and strengthen the professional competency of in-service teachers, to imbibe the knowledge and develop understanding of various methods and approaches of organizing learning experiences of secondary school students, to develop skills required in selection and organizing learning experiences, to understand the nature of the learner and the learning processes, to develop skills required for dealing with the academic and personal problems of learners, etc.</p> <p> BCA aimed at opening a channel of admission for computing courses for students, who have done the 10+2 and are interested in taking computing/IT as a career. After acquiring the Bachelor’s Degree (BCA) at IGNOU, there is further educational opportunity to go for an MCA at IGNOU or a Master’s Programme at any other university/institute. Also, after completing BCA Programme, a student should be able to get an entry level job in the field of Information Technology or ITES.</p> <p> BTS aimed at providing knowledge, competence, and skills in the professional area of tourism at the Bachelor’s Degree level. This programme, like other Bachelor’s Degree Programmes, can be completed in three years.</p> <p> BA or Bachelors Degree Programme which admits students from both formal and non-formal streams. The non-formal stream consists of those students who have not cleared 10+2 or an equivalent exam. To get admitted to IGNOU’s degree programme, they have to pass its Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme (BPP) first.</p> <p> B. Com., in which students without a formal qualification of 10+2 or its equivalent can also seek admission and they can study at their own pace and convenience over a period of three to six years.</p> <p> Students also get basic knowledge in the core areas of humanities, social sciences, computers and science & technology as there are some compulsory foundation courses. Besides selective courses in commerce there is flexibility to choose courses from a wide range of other disciplines.</p> <p> DCE or Diploma Programme in Creative Writing in English provides understanding, skills and professional knowledge about the art of writing and develops the creative ability of those interested in a professional career as a freelance writer. The curriculum is structured to impart instruction in progressive stages so as to ensure that a learner can assimilate information about a writer’s art and develop his/her creative ability. This Programme includes training in imaginative writing skills in relation to feature articles (women’s issues, book reviews, etc), writing short stories, and scripts for TV/Radio, and writing poetry.</p> <p> DTS, which provides the learners with the facility to specialize in the chosen operational areas in tourism studies and helps them acquire the associated skills. </p> <p> BPP, which is a Programme offered to those students who wish to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree of IGNOU but do not have the essential qualification of having passed 10+2. Without such a qualifying certificate, these students are deprived of higher education. To enable such students to enter higher education stream, IGNOU has designed this preparatory programme. </p> <div> <hr /> </div> <p> <strong><br /> </strong></p> <p> <strong>‘We plan to add more programmes’</strong></p> <div> <strong style="font-size: 12px;"><img alt="Biswajit Mukherjee, Chairperson / MD ICA" height="315" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_jue2013_ics_chairperson_biswajit.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 0 0;" width="200" />How long have been the journey of ICA in Nepal and its association with IGNOU?</strong></div> <div> <p> ICA was established 16 years ago in 1997. We are associated with IGNOU since 2002. </p> <p> <strong>What are milestones of this journey, most memorable moments or developments?</strong></p> <p> First, induction meeting for the 1st Batch of 22 learners of IGNOU from Nepal that was held in January 2003 at Dharan. It marked the start of IGNOU’s journey in Nepal. We owe thanks to all the 22 first-batch learners who believed in us though we did not have any official recognition from the government back then. </p> <p> IGNOU awarded us the Best Overseas Partner Institution 2010 for the best services at the 22nd Convocation of the university held on April 2, 2011. Recently, we received the Best Overseas Partner Institution 2013 Award for the Best Services from the university at the 26th Convocation held at IGNOU headquarters in New Delhi on April 12, 2013 which was provided by the President of India, H.E. Pranab Mukherjee. Our hard work finally paid off; ICA’s association with IGNOU has grown stronger and stronger. We are now more determined and motivated to providing better services to our learners.</p> <p> <strong>You offer both Degree and Diploma education. How do they differ in content and status? </strong></p> <p> Degrees are more academic in nature; the curriculum is so structured that the person undergoing the course is provided an overview of several subjects apart from one subject that the person may be interested in exploring further for both career and academic interests. It is of longer duration like 2-3 years. Diplomas focus on getting a person trained and qualified in a particular business or trade. Some of them even include a short stint of apprenticeships and on-the-job training. They are of shorter duration - maximum one <span style="font-size: 12px;">to one and a half years.</span></p> <p> <strong>Are these degrees equivalent to those from TU and KU in content, legality and industry recognition?</strong></p> <p> Yes all our degrees are equivalent to those from TU, KU and other universities of Nepal. Our centre is also approved by the Ministry of Education, Government of Nepal. I also take this opportunity to inform our readers that IGNOU degrees have been enjoying global recognition much before they were recognized by Nepal. It is also one of the enlisted universities by the United Nations.</p> <p> <strong>What are teaching and evaluating methods, tools and systems you use? </strong></p> <p> Yes, we very strictly follow the evaluation tools and methods prescribed by IGNOU and have developed a few of our own systems too which we have implemented with IGNOU’s approval. Such measures have enhanced the quality of evaluation and feedback provided to the learners.</p> <p> <strong>Who are your faculty? </strong></p> <p> Our faculties are the professors/ lecturers/ professionals associated with some of the leading universities or MNC’s of Nepal and India. We try to make sure that we have the best of the best faculties who are competent enough to handle the subject matter through the ODL system. We consider our faculties on a par and, in some cases, even more competent than the faculties of conventional universities or colleges on handling ODL system much better. </p> <p> <strong>What recognitions and accreditations does ICA have?</strong></p> <p> ICA is approved by the Ministry of Education, Government of Nepal. IGNOU degrees obtained through ICA are recognized by TU and KU. We are also the only member of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) from Nepal.</p> <p> <strong>What are your future plans?</strong></p> <p> We do have some big plans for the future. Now that we have been successful in establishing ourselves as one of the pioneer institutions for Open and Distance Education in Nepal, we plan to add more programmes relevant to our context and society each academic year. We have established Learner Support Centres (LSCs) at four different locations in Nepal and intend to establish more LSC in other parts of the country too so that more and more students from outside the valley can benefit. </p> <p> We are now quite seriously thinking to invest more in technology so that we can take education to the door steps of every Nepali. We are trying to establish a research centre in association with IGNOU. It’s been a long-standing request of ours with IGNOU in order to develop skilled human resource required for the ODL system, development of courses appropriate for the Nepali context and contextualization of some of the existing courses.</p> <hr /> <div> </div> <p> <strong>‘Ours is <span style="font-size: 12px;">learner-centric learning process’</span></strong></p> <p> <strong><img alt="Amit Giri, CEO, ICA" height="290" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_jue2013_ics_ceo_amit.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 0 0;" width="200" />How does one study without attending classes?</strong></p> <p> Open and Distance Learning is basically an arrangement which enables a learner to study at the time, place and pace of their choice according to their circumstances and requirements. Hence, attending a class is not an issue. Moreover, the learners after admission receive specially-designed materials called Self Learning Materials (SLM) from the university. The teacher is inbuilt. The learners can comprehend by just going through the SLM. </p> <p> To supplement the learner’s understanding of the subject matter, we organise Academic Counselling Sessions on Saturdays where learners get their queries answered and doubts cleared. Attending these sessions is, however, not mandatory. </p> <p> <strong>What is the difference between studying at a regular college and at an open university?</strong></p> <p> The basic difference is that in a regular college a learner has to attend classes where attendance is mandatory. It is a teacher-centric process for learning. There are restrictions of age, qualifications and physical presence. Costing is rarely done on cost-effective and efficient basis. In an Open University, physical presence is not mandatory. Ours is more learner-centric and provides a more flexible access to education. It is both cost-effective and efficient system for education. Multi-media and multiple methods are widely used.</p> <p> <strong>Are the degrees of open universities recognized and accepted by the industry?</strong></p> <p> Yes degrees of IGNOU obtained through ICA are recognized in Nepal and globally. A number of our graduates are absorbed in Nepal and abroad. The latest research shows that in countries like the UK, Australia, and the United States, graduates from Open Universities are in demand in the job market. The degrees are recognized and accepted universally. In Canada the degrees of IGNOU are assessed and recognized by the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) and it is one of the universities listed by the United Nations.</p> <p> <strong>What is the evaluation mechanism?</strong></p> <p> Evaluation of learners is done i) through assignments which carry 30 per cent weight in the final grades of the leaner. ii) On the basis of an examination conducted at the expiry of the minimum duration prescribed for the concerned course called Term End Examination (TEE) which carries 70 per cent weight towards the final grades of the learner. iii) The University may also prescribe courses, specific project works, field work and practical assignments for the learners. </p> <p> <strong>Where are the Term End Exams held?</strong></p> <p> They are generally held in the month of June and December every year. At present, there are two exam centres in Nepal i) Exam Centre Code: 9601, Biratnagar ii) Exams Centre Code: 9602, Kendriya Vidyalay, on the premises of the Embassy of India, Kathmandu. Exams at both centres are conducted under the overall supervision of the Embassy of India. One can also take the exams from centres in 43 countries and through the Indian missions in countries with no IGNOU centres.</p> <p> <strong>Why do you at all have entry restrictions in an ‘Open System’?</strong></p> <p> The University is concerned about the acceptability of students in society hence they have to ensure equivalence of the degrees/diplomas of IGNOU with that of the conventional universities. So, they have to keep restrictions, e.g. one has to be a 10+2 for joining BA/B.Com/BSc, but that 10+2 need not be with a threshold marks. In other words, restrictions are there but they are minimal</p> <p> <strong>We have heard that one can graduate from IGNOU even without the 10+2 education. Is it really possible?</strong></p> <p> Yes, if you are 18 or above, you may join our Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme (BPP). It is a six- month programme where you have to select any two from three preparatory courses in social sciences, commerce and mathematics. If you qualify, you may join Under Graduate (Besides Science Streams), short-term skill development and value-added programmes and any academic programme of IGNOU for which (10+2) is the minimum educational requirement. </p> <p> <strong>Does it mean that BPP is equivalent to 10+2?</strong></p> <p> <span style="font-size: 12px;">Not at all. It is only an enabling mechanism (bridge course) for joining graduation and some other programmes of IGNOU by those who for some reason or the other had missed the opportunity of completing school or higher education.</span></p> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /> </span></div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2013-06-07', 'modified' => '2013-06-07', 'keywords' => 'ICA Gives Flavours Of Openness, Business Education', 'description' => 'Open universities are gaining huge popularity among such professionals. The International Centre for Academic (ICA) has been helping young professionals to pursue their academic dreams since its inception in 1997.', 'sortorder' => '943', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '1072', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'Towards Solutions In Higher Education System', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p> <strong><br /> </strong></p> <p> <strong>By Dr A K Sen Gupta</strong></p> <p> The higher education system and institutions operating therein are passing through a great crisis of identity. The situation is more or less equally turbulent in all parts of the world. The most important stakeholders i.e. the students are often terms as Gen Y whose attitudes and attributes are at complete variance with those of Gen X i.e. the earlier generation. The differing and rising expectations of this new generation from the system in general and society at large call for different types of stimulus so that the response is positive. The Gen Y students are often with unexpected demands and fathomless expectations; they are restless and continuously looking for something different, difficult and complex. Domino effect is quite visible in terms of tangible gains and short-term material benefits. </p> <p> Consequently, there are several problems that are encountered by higher education institutions (HEIs). First, since majority of the teachers are from earlier generation, it is difficult for them to appreciate & empathize with students of Gen Y as regards their attitude to life including their behaviour in class room. Second, the conflicting value systems of both the teachers and taught (two different generations) many a times give rise to situations of misunderstanding, if not confrontation. And finally, Generation Y students do not perceive any value addition in their personal as well as professional lives from Gen X teachers as they feel that the competencies of earlier generation may not be useful in developing the skill sets required for 21st Century. The resultant effects are sometimes disastrous: confrontation, alienation, disinterest in studies, absenteeism, among others. My interaction with students and faculty from a large number of HEIs in different parts of the developing world shows a disturbing trend of increased misunderstanding between the teachers (Gen X) and students (Gen Y).Being the centres of learning, the HEIs must foster a proper and conducive environment of understanding between the teachers & learners where teachers enjoy teaching and students enjoy learning. Only such a climate can breed innovation and lay foundation stone for the economic and social growth of the country.</p> <p> In such an environment, the only solution lies in empowering the students of the HEIs where they are involved in all decision making processes of managing the respective HEI. The existing emotion of alienation arises from the feeling of being supervised & guided by people who, according to them, are not competent being from a generation that does not understand their values & feelings. Therefore, the best way to solve this complex problem is to create an institutional mechanism whereby the students take their own decisions as regards their destiny inside the HEI. These include:</p> <ol> <li> <strong>What should be taught?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>How it should be taught?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>Who should teach?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>What types of competencies / skill sets they would like to develop for themselves?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>What types of external interventions are needed to develop such competencies?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>What type of learning environment they would like to have?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>What facilities they would like to have?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>How much fees are desirable considering all the facilities?<br /> </strong></li> </ol> <p> <span style="font-size: 12px;">This essentially means that the students should decide what is best suited for them. The idea is to augment the student engagementthrough empowerment in the learning & administrative processes so that they becomemore responsible as well as accountable.The axiom is: let students (in close coordination with teachers) run the institution and decide for themselves what is best for them. It is parallel to employees running a company. </span></p> <p> The ideas suggested are indeed revolutionary in nature but worth implementing to bring down the sense of alienation of students from the educational system. To sum up, what is being suggested is not a mere structural change in managing HEIs but a paradigm shift in running educational institutions where the consumers co-create the brand and its value propositions.</p> <p> <strong>Couple of issues become critical in this regard:</strong></p> <ul> <li> Students are expected to be mature and responsible to take upon the onus of partly managing and running the institution both at macro and at micro level. Student Councils or Student Unions have been successful instruments / models in this regard in many educational institutions in different countries. But, these Councils in many places are either political or ineffective. What is needed is to make them active and involved in decision making processes. The experimentation of senior responsible positions like Vice Principals (or Deputy Directors) being created from among the students on a rotation basis, may be tried.</li> <li> Teachers and managements of the HEIs should accept this experimentation on a serious note. As this would make the system open and transparent, it might create volatility at least to begin with. </li> <li> In such a scenario there should be a person designated as Mentor who is acceptable to all in case of any difference of opinion and who may be able to take care of all possible disputes.</li> <li> Simultaneously, there should also be the concept ofreverse mentoring whereby the Gen Y can guide / mould the shape of things to come through proper interaction with Gen X teachers / management, the ideas / solutions coming from the former for a change and implemented by the latter. </li> </ul> <div> <span style="font-size:10px;">Authored by Dr A K Sen Gupta, Founder and Convener, Higher Education Forum (HEF), the largest on-line community of higher educational professionals on a global scale. His past assignments include Director of leading B-Schools in India, World Bank Consultant and Professor at National Institute of Bank Management (NIBM), Pune, India.</span></div> <div> <span style="font-size:10px;"><br /> </span></div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2013-06-07', 'modified' => '2013-06-07', 'keywords' => 'Towards Solutions In Higher Education System, Business Education, AK Sen gupta, New Business Age, June 2013', 'description' => 'Empowering students is the ultimate solution in this age of information boom and increased democratization of education.', 'sortorder' => '942', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '980', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'Learning Has To Go Much Beyond The Classroom', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p> <strong>By Bhawani Timilsina</strong></p> <p> Ace Institute of Management has completed more than a decade in the field of management education, which has now become the most aspiring career option for students.</p> <p> <span style="font-size: 12px;">Learning has to go much beyond the classroom. This is the basic mantra of the institution and also what makes it different from other (growing numbers of) business schools across the country. The institution is probably best known for its teaching methodology, but it merely excels in producing not only good managers but also good human beings as well. </span></p> <p> Ashish Tiwari, Director of the Institution, says, “The main focus of the institution is on imparting the practice oriented teaching methodology.” The institution has robust management courses ranging from BBA to Executive MBA. The college emphasizes the shaping of professionals who eventually will become successful, effective leaders. </p> <p> Established in 1999, the institution has built a reputation of conscientious learning centre among students who want to pursue management courses. <span style="font-size: 12px;">Based in excellence and quality, the institution has become successful establishing itself as one of the leading institutions enhancing the capacity of the students.</span></p> <p> The college has launched an Executive-MBA course for the first time in the country. The MBA programme has acquired a distinguished reputation for being the most rigorous and fulfilling experience. The undergraduate programmes, BBA and BBA-BI, are considered among the best in the country. Students completing undergraduate programmes in ACE are widely sought after in the job market, claims the institution. In a short span of four years Ace A-Level has distinguished itself from the crowd with its individual centered approach to learning and its focus on management and social sciences stream only. </p> <p> Tiwari adds, ‘These thirteen years have been extremely rewarding and we continue with our vision and commitment to value based management education which has strong relevance to real life. We are deeply committed to promoting a learning environment where individuals rediscover themselves and learn to be thoughtful and responsible managers, leaders and entrepreneurs. We will continue to provide our students with opportunities to explore and develop their potential so that they can make their mark in whatever they do.”</p> <p> “Learning Strategy of our institution is guided by our philosophy that each one of us learns differently and that no one’s approach is superior to another, we encourage students to take responsibility for their learning,” he added.</p> <p> Teachers are encouraged to serve as facilitators, helping students learn rather than teach them. <span style="font-size: 12px;">Educational methods such as lectures, small group exercises, management games, work projects, case studies and presentations are used. Computers, statistical kits and audio visual aids are also extensively used.</span></p> <p> Lecture sessions are interactive and students are encouraged to participate using case analysis and presentations, reviews and feedback and project works involving studies of real organizations. <span style="font-size: 12px;">The quality of students churns out year after year</span><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span></p> <p> <strong><span style="font-size: 12px;">Facilities</span></strong></p> <p> The learning environment at Ace Institute of Management is supported by facilities that provide comfort as well as easy access to information and knowledge. “Our computer laboratory is fully equipped and every student is provided with Internet access. Furthermore, the entire campus is Wi-Fi enabled facilitating Internet connection from anywhere,” says Tiwari. The library offers a wide range of magazines and journals and is currently well stocked with books related to the subjects covered during the degree. New publications are continuously being added to meet the demands of students. The library has also subscribed to a large range of management publications and journals. Participants in the programmes require an adequate knowledge of computing. The computer centre provides computing facilities to the students from 8:00a.m. to 8:30 p.m. every day, except on Saturdays and Sundays. The computer centre also carries out non-credit courses for beginners. In addition, there is a canteen which offers high quality food and snacks at reasonable prices.</p> <p> <img alt="Ace Institute of Management, ACE" height="377" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_may2013_ace_institute_of_management.jpg" width="580" /></p> <p> </p> <p> <strong>Academic Programmes</strong></p> <ul> <li> EMBA Programme</li> <li> MBA Programme</li> <li> BBA-BI Programme</li> <li> A-Level Programme</li> <li> MBAe Programme </li> </ul> <p> <strong>Vision</strong></p> <ul> <li> Enhance the capacity of individuals and institutions in Nepal to contribute to the nation’s development</li> </ul> <p> <strong>Mission</strong></p> <ul> <li> Promote a learning environment where individuals rediscover themselves and learn to be thoughtful and responsible managers, leaders, and entrepreneurs</li> <li> Promote entrepreneurship and professionalism by assisting entrepreneurs and institutions in acquiring and managing resources effectively</li> </ul> <p> <strong>Philosophy</strong></p> <ul> <li> We believe that one can never learn enough. Learning is a life-long process</li> <li> We believe that knowledge is much more beneficial when accompanied by wisdom and humility</li> <li> We believe that each one of us learns differently and that no particular approach is superior to another</li> <li> We believe that every individual is capable of contributing towards a positive social synergy </li> <li> We believe that we achieve and accomplish more when we compete with self and cooperate with others</li> </ul> <p> <strong>Values</strong></p> <ul> <li> Honesty in work</li> <li> Sincerity in relationships</li> <li> Respect for self and others</li> <li> Responsibility for one’s actions</li> <li> Learning from mistakes</li> <li> Care for resources</li> <li> Adherence to regulations</li> <li> Questioning spirit</li> </ul> <div> <img alt="Ace Institute of Managment, ACE" height="244" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_may2013_ace_institute_of_management(1).jpg" width="590" /></div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2013-05-19', 'modified' => '2013-06-06', 'keywords' => 'Learning Has to Go Much Beyond the Classroom', 'description' => 'Based in excellence and quality, the institution has become successful establishing itself as one of the leading institutions enhancing the capacity of the students.', 'sortorder' => '855', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Warning (2): simplexml_load_file() [<a href='http://php.net/function.simplexml-load-file'>function.simplexml-load-file</a>]: I/O warning : failed to load external entity "" [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133]file not found!Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/subindexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '7879', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'Mero Microfinance Financial Literacy Seminar Concludes', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 6: Mero Microfinance Bittiya Sanstha has concluded its financial literacy seminar in Katahariya of Rautahat and Kolwi of Bara. ', 'content' => '<p>April 6: Mero Microfinance Bittiya Sanstha has concluded its financial literacy seminar in Katahariya of Rautahat and Kolwi of Bara. Issuing a statement on Thursday, April 5, the organisation said that the best women's group was rewarded with cash prize. “The microfinance company has invested to help raise the income source,” the statement said.</p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2018-04-06', 'modified' => '2018-04-06', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '7660', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '2018-04-06 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '16' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '2642', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'Degrading Higher Education System', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<div> </div> <div> <div> <strong>--By Narayan Prasad Paudel</strong></div> <div> </div> <div> Higher education in Nepal has drawn massive attention and concern from various communities across the nation. If higher education system of the country is reliable, quality conscious, functional and market and need driven, it ultimately serves the greater need of the aspirant youth of the country in materializing their dreams with upgraded level of skill sets that correspond to the rising market potentiality. Nepali youths are facing many problems due to the substandard quality of education provided by most of the education institutions. The focus of education in Nepal is mass-and money-driven, rather than quality - and outcome - driven. Due to serious limitations and lack of focus on the employability of its products, Nepal’s education system is more or less, except for a few exceptions, unable to create hope and happiness across the larger segment of the Nepali society.</div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Universities and their focus </strong></span></div> <div> As of today, Nepal has nine different universities (TU, KU, Pokhara, Purbanchal, Sanskrit, Buddhist, Agriculture, Mid Western and Far Western ) providing higher education. Among these, the oldest and the biggest is Tribhuvan University (TU), established in 1959 by the government, is providing higher education to more than 450,000 students.</div> <div> </div> <div> Sanskrit University, established in December 1986, operates from its central office in Dang district. Kathmandu University (KU), established in 1991, is providing higher education to 4,000 students in its own constituent campuses and 7,500 students from its affiliated colleges.</div> <div> </div> <div> Pokhara University, established in 1997 as Nepal's fifth University, has provided higher education to more than 25,000 students through its affiliated campuses. Purbanchal University established in 1993, operates from its head office in Biratnagar. Along with these two regional universities, Mid Western and Far Western Universities provide higher education in their respective development regions. </div> <div> </div> <div> Besides them, the Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU) and the Lumbini Buddha University (LBU) are other two universities established in Nepal.</div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Current Scenario</strong></span></div> <div> All these universities claim of having good curriculum structure, academic infrastructure and suitable academic environment. Though most of them claim of contributing their best to higher education in Nepal, in reality the scenario is not exactly the same as stated in their documents. </div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Curriculum and focus of Faculties </strong></span></div> <div> Talking about the structure of academic curriculum of these universities, except in few cases, there are plenty of shortcomings. This includes repetition of the same courses at different level of academic programmes. </div> <div> </div> <div> Most courses of many of these universities, developed long back, are still in use without timely adjustment to make them, in line with other foreign universities. Most of the courses, are less market - and need driven and more theory oriented that overweight practical courses. </div> <div> </div> <div> Hotchpotch design of the curriculum that ignore the substance and relevance of the subject matter are some of the apparent weaknesses of the curriculum structure in different Universities in Nepal. </div> <div> </div> <div> However, few of the academic programmes e.g. Institute of Medicine, Institute of Engineering and few of the MBA programmes in the country have been able to blend all the necessary requirement in their curriculum and hence are able to attract and motivate national as well international students.</div> <div> </div> <div> Irresponsible academicians are also huge problems in Nepal. For example, some university professors do not entirely contribute time and energy to their own academic institutions as committed by them and as mentioned in their terms of reference (TOR). This trend has resulted in the creation of many helmet professors, unprofessional consultants and development activists, at the cost of academic professional values. </div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Politics in the Universities</strong></span></div> <div> Many academicians forget their own status and keep in frequent touch with political activist and leaders. They think that they would be rewarded by being appointed for attractive academic and non-academic moneymaking and to so called higher ladder positions in different institutions like vice chancellors, registrars, deans, campus chiefs, advisors, ambassador etc. This greed of the academic community has ultimately exploited themselves as they lose their most productive time in unproductive appointments. </div> <div> </div> <div> We all know that all our universities are ultimately governed by the government. Using the power of governance the Prime Minister (Chancellor) appoints senior leaders of the universities (e.g. Vice Chancellors)on the basis of the prospective candidate’s inclination towards a particular political ideology and the volume of financial contribution that the candidate can make to the political party that the Prime Minister belongs to. Ultimately, the nearer and the dearer of the Prime Minister get appointed to the prestigious position of the vice chancellors. If we examine, the history, except in a few cases, most of the university leaders have attempted to make such appointees happy with exhibiting extra loyalty towards them. </div> <div> </div> <div> As a result the rest of the leaders of the universities including the registrar, dean, department head, campus chiefs are appointed on the basis of instructions given by political leaders and government authority. They start polluting the institution by hiring faculties on contract by not announcing vacancy through public notice. These rampant contract appointments are made at different layers of the academia on the basis of personal relations and by ignoring the competent public masses that could have been selected, if the selections were made through competitive process. And these are ultimately given permanent position as well. </div> <div> </div> <div> Consequently prospective and qualified teaching professionals are denied the opportunity to teach while incompetent faculties appointed against the principles of good governance and with sub standard quality, provide sub-standard education and affect entire performance of the university. This practice, rampant and prevalent in every academic institutions and universities in Nepal, has caused continuous loss of confidence on these institutions. </div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Influence of Student Unions </strong></span></div> <div> Irresponsible activities of the student unions in most of the universities have also resulted in the delivery of sub standard quality and performance of academic programmes. In most cases student union leaders force innocent students to participate in their political activities. Based on instructions provided by the union leaders, students forgo their regular learning activities, involve in activities of political parties and lose their productive time and resources. Otherwise, they would have devoted that time to build their learning ability and gained skills expected by their prospective employers and thereby build basis to lead their dream life. </div> <div> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>The way forward </strong></span></div> <div> Neither political leaders nor government institutions are responsible, nor the academic communities, teachers and students at large, are honestly eager to maintain and upgrade the integrity of the national academia. We are losing our face in the international academic community. Substandard outcome of these programmes has ultimately resulted into greater un-employability, which has led to anxiety, frustration, and depression among the youth and forced them to migrate abroad for employment in menial jobs. </div> <div> What would be the panacea for the aforesaid problems? The ultimate answer is commitment, dedication, and greater focus on responsibility and accountability, from all stakeholders. This would ultimately refine prevailing degrading professional practices rampant in our education system. We all need to improve ourselves, firstly be removing unwanted greed for money and power and secondly by uplifting our professional competencies and qualities through lifelong learning. Faculties need to focus on training, exposure activities, research and publications that would positively contribute to the overall performance of entire community. Society should play greater role to correct the unwanted behaviour of concerned authorities through constant review of an institution’s performance and activities. Government should build highest level of integrity and morale. Government leaders should be free from the unnecessary greed for power and resources. </div> <div> </div> <div> The crux of the problem is our political system, which needs to be overhauled. All political leaders need to frame their role model behaviour and should attempt to exhibit and practice in real life. They should hesitate to infiltrate pure academic environment with party politics, otherwise they would be entirely held accountable for the degrading academic performance. We can refine the political machinery of the nation, if we all have strong commitment to uplift academic height in line with developed countries. The principle of sacrifice and contribution should be embedded in the performance of both political and academic leaders.</div> <div> </div> <div> <em>(Narayan Prasad Paudel, Ph.D, is Assistant Professor, Kathmandu University School of Management. Email: narayan@kusom.edu.np.)</em></div> </div> <div> </div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2014-02-20', 'modified' => '2014-02-20', 'keywords' => 'new business age business education news & articles, business education news & articles from new business age nepal, business education headlines from nepal, current and latest business education news from nepal, economic news from nepal, nepali business education economic news and events, ongoing', 'description' => 'The focus of education in Nepal is mass and money driven, rather than quality and outcome driven.', 'sortorder' => '2482', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '1071', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'ICA Gives Flavours Of Openness', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p> </p> <p> <strong>By Bhawani Timilsina</strong></p> <p> Young professionals find it difficult to further their academic careers as it requires managing work and study simultaneously. Open universities are gaining huge popularity among such professionals. The International Centre for Academic (ICA) has been helping such young professionals to pursue their academic dreams since its inception in 1997.</p> <p> A majority of Nepali students are quite familiar with the idea of working and studying together. However, it is a task easier said than done. Binayak Shrestha was 23 when he felt the need to enhance his academic strength for career growth. But he found it difficult to continue study and work simultaneously. Then a friend suggested him to visit ICA which runs classes for courses offered by Indira Gandhi Open University, (IGNOU). Shrestha completed his degree back in 2008. He shares, “The experience of studying at ICA helped me enhance my academic qualification and build up confidence in a completely open and flexible environment. The advancement in technology supported me and my friends to get quality education while continuing our jobs.</p> <p> The revolution in the information and communications technology has brought about a sea change in the teaching and learning system. Universities around the world are making their education ‘open’ to all; technology has made it possible for students to earn degrees without physically attending these universities. Open universities offer openness in selecting courses without the barrier of “prerequisites and essentials.” The demand of open universities has been growing around the world.</p> <p> Paridhi Acharya, 26, completed her post graduation from ICA in 2010. What made her select a course of an open university was flexible environment that it provides, especially for those students who want to take work and study side by side. “I am thrilled that I got a degree from such a renowned university and completed my post graduation securing high marks,” says one of the gold medallists of ICA.</p> <p> ICA is a partner institution of IGNOU which is one of the most popular educational institutions in India, offering inclusive education to students since its establishment in 1985.Being one of the pioneers in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in Nepal, ICA has been actively involved in resource development and research and publications related to the ODL system. So far, ICA has helped thousands of students get internationally acclaimed degrees.Students who want flexibility in study are highly attracted by distance–learning programmes, which often rely on pre–prepared study materials instead of lecturers on a daily basis. </p> <p> <img alt="ICA Gives Flavours of Openness" height="308" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_jue2013_ics_classroom(1).jpg" style="margin:0 10px 0 0;" width="595" /></p> <p> ICA presently offers 44 different Academic, Value Added and Awareness programmes through ODL mode in Management, Humanities & Social Science, Tourism, Computer Science, Journalism and Mass Communication, Education, Rural Development, Health Science, Social Work, Gender and Development Studies, Extension and Development Studies, Continuing Education etc. Currently, the cumulative student strength of ICA is more than 1200. The learners enrolled at ICA are freshers or professionals from diverse fields such as hospitality, financial institutions, telecoms, corporate houses, embassies and diplomatic agencies etc. ICA also offers such programmes in collaboration with government and non government agencies through an arrangement of programme specific Work Centres and a strong network of Learner Support Centres located in different parts of Nepal.</p> <p> <strong>Premium courses of IGNOU:</strong></p> <p> MBA/Management Programme aimed at graduates from any stream who may/may not be working but would like to pursue a career in Management. </p> <p> MEG aimed at providing learners with a sound base in language as well as exposure to a wide range of literature, with options for specialisation in a particular area. The learners are expected to develop confidence in their critical and analytical abilities.</p> <p> MCA aimed at preparing graduate students for productive careers in software industry and academia by providing an outstanding environment for teaching and research in the core and emerging areas of the discipline.</p> <p> MARD or MA Programme in Rural Development (MARD) is designed to include such diverse academic contents that are essential in the making of this discipline in the Indian Context. A critical component of this Programme is dissertation based on empirical research in rural areas. The Programme will be useful for personnel working in various Govt. Departments/agencies, NGOs, Cooperatives, Banks and other institutions engaged in rural transformation. It will also be beneficial for fresh graduates interested in pursuing careers in the discipline of rural development.</p> <p> PGDJMC or Post-Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication provides opportunities for working media personnel to enhance their knowledge and skills for their professional development</p> <p> B. Ed. aimed to systematize experiences and strengthen the professional competency of in-service teachers, to imbibe the knowledge and develop understanding of various methods and approaches of organizing learning experiences of secondary school students, to develop skills required in selection and organizing learning experiences, to understand the nature of the learner and the learning processes, to develop skills required for dealing with the academic and personal problems of learners, etc.</p> <p> BCA aimed at opening a channel of admission for computing courses for students, who have done the 10+2 and are interested in taking computing/IT as a career. After acquiring the Bachelor’s Degree (BCA) at IGNOU, there is further educational opportunity to go for an MCA at IGNOU or a Master’s Programme at any other university/institute. Also, after completing BCA Programme, a student should be able to get an entry level job in the field of Information Technology or ITES.</p> <p> BTS aimed at providing knowledge, competence, and skills in the professional area of tourism at the Bachelor’s Degree level. This programme, like other Bachelor’s Degree Programmes, can be completed in three years.</p> <p> BA or Bachelors Degree Programme which admits students from both formal and non-formal streams. The non-formal stream consists of those students who have not cleared 10+2 or an equivalent exam. To get admitted to IGNOU’s degree programme, they have to pass its Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme (BPP) first.</p> <p> B. Com., in which students without a formal qualification of 10+2 or its equivalent can also seek admission and they can study at their own pace and convenience over a period of three to six years.</p> <p> Students also get basic knowledge in the core areas of humanities, social sciences, computers and science & technology as there are some compulsory foundation courses. Besides selective courses in commerce there is flexibility to choose courses from a wide range of other disciplines.</p> <p> DCE or Diploma Programme in Creative Writing in English provides understanding, skills and professional knowledge about the art of writing and develops the creative ability of those interested in a professional career as a freelance writer. The curriculum is structured to impart instruction in progressive stages so as to ensure that a learner can assimilate information about a writer’s art and develop his/her creative ability. This Programme includes training in imaginative writing skills in relation to feature articles (women’s issues, book reviews, etc), writing short stories, and scripts for TV/Radio, and writing poetry.</p> <p> DTS, which provides the learners with the facility to specialize in the chosen operational areas in tourism studies and helps them acquire the associated skills. </p> <p> BPP, which is a Programme offered to those students who wish to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree of IGNOU but do not have the essential qualification of having passed 10+2. Without such a qualifying certificate, these students are deprived of higher education. To enable such students to enter higher education stream, IGNOU has designed this preparatory programme. </p> <div> <hr /> </div> <p> <strong><br /> </strong></p> <p> <strong>‘We plan to add more programmes’</strong></p> <div> <strong style="font-size: 12px;"><img alt="Biswajit Mukherjee, Chairperson / MD ICA" height="315" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_jue2013_ics_chairperson_biswajit.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 0 0;" width="200" />How long have been the journey of ICA in Nepal and its association with IGNOU?</strong></div> <div> <p> ICA was established 16 years ago in 1997. We are associated with IGNOU since 2002. </p> <p> <strong>What are milestones of this journey, most memorable moments or developments?</strong></p> <p> First, induction meeting for the 1st Batch of 22 learners of IGNOU from Nepal that was held in January 2003 at Dharan. It marked the start of IGNOU’s journey in Nepal. We owe thanks to all the 22 first-batch learners who believed in us though we did not have any official recognition from the government back then. </p> <p> IGNOU awarded us the Best Overseas Partner Institution 2010 for the best services at the 22nd Convocation of the university held on April 2, 2011. Recently, we received the Best Overseas Partner Institution 2013 Award for the Best Services from the university at the 26th Convocation held at IGNOU headquarters in New Delhi on April 12, 2013 which was provided by the President of India, H.E. Pranab Mukherjee. Our hard work finally paid off; ICA’s association with IGNOU has grown stronger and stronger. We are now more determined and motivated to providing better services to our learners.</p> <p> <strong>You offer both Degree and Diploma education. How do they differ in content and status? </strong></p> <p> Degrees are more academic in nature; the curriculum is so structured that the person undergoing the course is provided an overview of several subjects apart from one subject that the person may be interested in exploring further for both career and academic interests. It is of longer duration like 2-3 years. Diplomas focus on getting a person trained and qualified in a particular business or trade. Some of them even include a short stint of apprenticeships and on-the-job training. They are of shorter duration - maximum one <span style="font-size: 12px;">to one and a half years.</span></p> <p> <strong>Are these degrees equivalent to those from TU and KU in content, legality and industry recognition?</strong></p> <p> Yes all our degrees are equivalent to those from TU, KU and other universities of Nepal. Our centre is also approved by the Ministry of Education, Government of Nepal. I also take this opportunity to inform our readers that IGNOU degrees have been enjoying global recognition much before they were recognized by Nepal. It is also one of the enlisted universities by the United Nations.</p> <p> <strong>What are teaching and evaluating methods, tools and systems you use? </strong></p> <p> Yes, we very strictly follow the evaluation tools and methods prescribed by IGNOU and have developed a few of our own systems too which we have implemented with IGNOU’s approval. Such measures have enhanced the quality of evaluation and feedback provided to the learners.</p> <p> <strong>Who are your faculty? </strong></p> <p> Our faculties are the professors/ lecturers/ professionals associated with some of the leading universities or MNC’s of Nepal and India. We try to make sure that we have the best of the best faculties who are competent enough to handle the subject matter through the ODL system. We consider our faculties on a par and, in some cases, even more competent than the faculties of conventional universities or colleges on handling ODL system much better. </p> <p> <strong>What recognitions and accreditations does ICA have?</strong></p> <p> ICA is approved by the Ministry of Education, Government of Nepal. IGNOU degrees obtained through ICA are recognized by TU and KU. We are also the only member of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) from Nepal.</p> <p> <strong>What are your future plans?</strong></p> <p> We do have some big plans for the future. Now that we have been successful in establishing ourselves as one of the pioneer institutions for Open and Distance Education in Nepal, we plan to add more programmes relevant to our context and society each academic year. We have established Learner Support Centres (LSCs) at four different locations in Nepal and intend to establish more LSC in other parts of the country too so that more and more students from outside the valley can benefit. </p> <p> We are now quite seriously thinking to invest more in technology so that we can take education to the door steps of every Nepali. We are trying to establish a research centre in association with IGNOU. It’s been a long-standing request of ours with IGNOU in order to develop skilled human resource required for the ODL system, development of courses appropriate for the Nepali context and contextualization of some of the existing courses.</p> <hr /> <div> </div> <p> <strong>‘Ours is <span style="font-size: 12px;">learner-centric learning process’</span></strong></p> <p> <strong><img alt="Amit Giri, CEO, ICA" height="290" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_jue2013_ics_ceo_amit.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 0 0;" width="200" />How does one study without attending classes?</strong></p> <p> Open and Distance Learning is basically an arrangement which enables a learner to study at the time, place and pace of their choice according to their circumstances and requirements. Hence, attending a class is not an issue. Moreover, the learners after admission receive specially-designed materials called Self Learning Materials (SLM) from the university. The teacher is inbuilt. The learners can comprehend by just going through the SLM. </p> <p> To supplement the learner’s understanding of the subject matter, we organise Academic Counselling Sessions on Saturdays where learners get their queries answered and doubts cleared. Attending these sessions is, however, not mandatory. </p> <p> <strong>What is the difference between studying at a regular college and at an open university?</strong></p> <p> The basic difference is that in a regular college a learner has to attend classes where attendance is mandatory. It is a teacher-centric process for learning. There are restrictions of age, qualifications and physical presence. Costing is rarely done on cost-effective and efficient basis. In an Open University, physical presence is not mandatory. Ours is more learner-centric and provides a more flexible access to education. It is both cost-effective and efficient system for education. Multi-media and multiple methods are widely used.</p> <p> <strong>Are the degrees of open universities recognized and accepted by the industry?</strong></p> <p> Yes degrees of IGNOU obtained through ICA are recognized in Nepal and globally. A number of our graduates are absorbed in Nepal and abroad. The latest research shows that in countries like the UK, Australia, and the United States, graduates from Open Universities are in demand in the job market. The degrees are recognized and accepted universally. In Canada the degrees of IGNOU are assessed and recognized by the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) and it is one of the universities listed by the United Nations.</p> <p> <strong>What is the evaluation mechanism?</strong></p> <p> Evaluation of learners is done i) through assignments which carry 30 per cent weight in the final grades of the leaner. ii) On the basis of an examination conducted at the expiry of the minimum duration prescribed for the concerned course called Term End Examination (TEE) which carries 70 per cent weight towards the final grades of the learner. iii) The University may also prescribe courses, specific project works, field work and practical assignments for the learners. </p> <p> <strong>Where are the Term End Exams held?</strong></p> <p> They are generally held in the month of June and December every year. At present, there are two exam centres in Nepal i) Exam Centre Code: 9601, Biratnagar ii) Exams Centre Code: 9602, Kendriya Vidyalay, on the premises of the Embassy of India, Kathmandu. Exams at both centres are conducted under the overall supervision of the Embassy of India. One can also take the exams from centres in 43 countries and through the Indian missions in countries with no IGNOU centres.</p> <p> <strong>Why do you at all have entry restrictions in an ‘Open System’?</strong></p> <p> The University is concerned about the acceptability of students in society hence they have to ensure equivalence of the degrees/diplomas of IGNOU with that of the conventional universities. So, they have to keep restrictions, e.g. one has to be a 10+2 for joining BA/B.Com/BSc, but that 10+2 need not be with a threshold marks. In other words, restrictions are there but they are minimal</p> <p> <strong>We have heard that one can graduate from IGNOU even without the 10+2 education. Is it really possible?</strong></p> <p> Yes, if you are 18 or above, you may join our Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme (BPP). It is a six- month programme where you have to select any two from three preparatory courses in social sciences, commerce and mathematics. If you qualify, you may join Under Graduate (Besides Science Streams), short-term skill development and value-added programmes and any academic programme of IGNOU for which (10+2) is the minimum educational requirement. </p> <p> <strong>Does it mean that BPP is equivalent to 10+2?</strong></p> <p> <span style="font-size: 12px;">Not at all. It is only an enabling mechanism (bridge course) for joining graduation and some other programmes of IGNOU by those who for some reason or the other had missed the opportunity of completing school or higher education.</span></p> </div> <div> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /> </span></div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2013-06-07', 'modified' => '2013-06-07', 'keywords' => 'ICA Gives Flavours Of Openness, Business Education', 'description' => 'Open universities are gaining huge popularity among such professionals. The International Centre for Academic (ICA) has been helping young professionals to pursue their academic dreams since its inception in 1997.', 'sortorder' => '943', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '1072', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'Towards Solutions In Higher Education System', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p> <strong><br /> </strong></p> <p> <strong>By Dr A K Sen Gupta</strong></p> <p> The higher education system and institutions operating therein are passing through a great crisis of identity. The situation is more or less equally turbulent in all parts of the world. The most important stakeholders i.e. the students are often terms as Gen Y whose attitudes and attributes are at complete variance with those of Gen X i.e. the earlier generation. The differing and rising expectations of this new generation from the system in general and society at large call for different types of stimulus so that the response is positive. The Gen Y students are often with unexpected demands and fathomless expectations; they are restless and continuously looking for something different, difficult and complex. Domino effect is quite visible in terms of tangible gains and short-term material benefits. </p> <p> Consequently, there are several problems that are encountered by higher education institutions (HEIs). First, since majority of the teachers are from earlier generation, it is difficult for them to appreciate & empathize with students of Gen Y as regards their attitude to life including their behaviour in class room. Second, the conflicting value systems of both the teachers and taught (two different generations) many a times give rise to situations of misunderstanding, if not confrontation. And finally, Generation Y students do not perceive any value addition in their personal as well as professional lives from Gen X teachers as they feel that the competencies of earlier generation may not be useful in developing the skill sets required for 21st Century. The resultant effects are sometimes disastrous: confrontation, alienation, disinterest in studies, absenteeism, among others. My interaction with students and faculty from a large number of HEIs in different parts of the developing world shows a disturbing trend of increased misunderstanding between the teachers (Gen X) and students (Gen Y).Being the centres of learning, the HEIs must foster a proper and conducive environment of understanding between the teachers & learners where teachers enjoy teaching and students enjoy learning. Only such a climate can breed innovation and lay foundation stone for the economic and social growth of the country.</p> <p> In such an environment, the only solution lies in empowering the students of the HEIs where they are involved in all decision making processes of managing the respective HEI. The existing emotion of alienation arises from the feeling of being supervised & guided by people who, according to them, are not competent being from a generation that does not understand their values & feelings. Therefore, the best way to solve this complex problem is to create an institutional mechanism whereby the students take their own decisions as regards their destiny inside the HEI. These include:</p> <ol> <li> <strong>What should be taught?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>How it should be taught?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>Who should teach?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>What types of competencies / skill sets they would like to develop for themselves?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>What types of external interventions are needed to develop such competencies?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>What type of learning environment they would like to have?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>What facilities they would like to have?<br /> </strong></li> <li> <strong>How much fees are desirable considering all the facilities?<br /> </strong></li> </ol> <p> <span style="font-size: 12px;">This essentially means that the students should decide what is best suited for them. The idea is to augment the student engagementthrough empowerment in the learning & administrative processes so that they becomemore responsible as well as accountable.The axiom is: let students (in close coordination with teachers) run the institution and decide for themselves what is best for them. It is parallel to employees running a company. </span></p> <p> The ideas suggested are indeed revolutionary in nature but worth implementing to bring down the sense of alienation of students from the educational system. To sum up, what is being suggested is not a mere structural change in managing HEIs but a paradigm shift in running educational institutions where the consumers co-create the brand and its value propositions.</p> <p> <strong>Couple of issues become critical in this regard:</strong></p> <ul> <li> Students are expected to be mature and responsible to take upon the onus of partly managing and running the institution both at macro and at micro level. Student Councils or Student Unions have been successful instruments / models in this regard in many educational institutions in different countries. But, these Councils in many places are either political or ineffective. What is needed is to make them active and involved in decision making processes. The experimentation of senior responsible positions like Vice Principals (or Deputy Directors) being created from among the students on a rotation basis, may be tried.</li> <li> Teachers and managements of the HEIs should accept this experimentation on a serious note. As this would make the system open and transparent, it might create volatility at least to begin with. </li> <li> In such a scenario there should be a person designated as Mentor who is acceptable to all in case of any difference of opinion and who may be able to take care of all possible disputes.</li> <li> Simultaneously, there should also be the concept ofreverse mentoring whereby the Gen Y can guide / mould the shape of things to come through proper interaction with Gen X teachers / management, the ideas / solutions coming from the former for a change and implemented by the latter. </li> </ul> <div> <span style="font-size:10px;">Authored by Dr A K Sen Gupta, Founder and Convener, Higher Education Forum (HEF), the largest on-line community of higher educational professionals on a global scale. His past assignments include Director of leading B-Schools in India, World Bank Consultant and Professor at National Institute of Bank Management (NIBM), Pune, India.</span></div> <div> <span style="font-size:10px;"><br /> </span></div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2013-06-07', 'modified' => '2013-06-07', 'keywords' => 'Towards Solutions In Higher Education System, Business Education, AK Sen gupta, New Business Age, June 2013', 'description' => 'Empowering students is the ultimate solution in this age of information boom and increased democratization of education.', 'sortorder' => '942', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '980', 'article_category_id' => '80', 'title' => 'Learning Has To Go Much Beyond The Classroom', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p> <strong>By Bhawani Timilsina</strong></p> <p> Ace Institute of Management has completed more than a decade in the field of management education, which has now become the most aspiring career option for students.</p> <p> <span style="font-size: 12px;">Learning has to go much beyond the classroom. This is the basic mantra of the institution and also what makes it different from other (growing numbers of) business schools across the country. The institution is probably best known for its teaching methodology, but it merely excels in producing not only good managers but also good human beings as well. </span></p> <p> Ashish Tiwari, Director of the Institution, says, “The main focus of the institution is on imparting the practice oriented teaching methodology.” The institution has robust management courses ranging from BBA to Executive MBA. The college emphasizes the shaping of professionals who eventually will become successful, effective leaders. </p> <p> Established in 1999, the institution has built a reputation of conscientious learning centre among students who want to pursue management courses. <span style="font-size: 12px;">Based in excellence and quality, the institution has become successful establishing itself as one of the leading institutions enhancing the capacity of the students.</span></p> <p> The college has launched an Executive-MBA course for the first time in the country. The MBA programme has acquired a distinguished reputation for being the most rigorous and fulfilling experience. The undergraduate programmes, BBA and BBA-BI, are considered among the best in the country. Students completing undergraduate programmes in ACE are widely sought after in the job market, claims the institution. In a short span of four years Ace A-Level has distinguished itself from the crowd with its individual centered approach to learning and its focus on management and social sciences stream only. </p> <p> Tiwari adds, ‘These thirteen years have been extremely rewarding and we continue with our vision and commitment to value based management education which has strong relevance to real life. We are deeply committed to promoting a learning environment where individuals rediscover themselves and learn to be thoughtful and responsible managers, leaders and entrepreneurs. We will continue to provide our students with opportunities to explore and develop their potential so that they can make their mark in whatever they do.”</p> <p> “Learning Strategy of our institution is guided by our philosophy that each one of us learns differently and that no one’s approach is superior to another, we encourage students to take responsibility for their learning,” he added.</p> <p> Teachers are encouraged to serve as facilitators, helping students learn rather than teach them. <span style="font-size: 12px;">Educational methods such as lectures, small group exercises, management games, work projects, case studies and presentations are used. Computers, statistical kits and audio visual aids are also extensively used.</span></p> <p> Lecture sessions are interactive and students are encouraged to participate using case analysis and presentations, reviews and feedback and project works involving studies of real organizations. <span style="font-size: 12px;">The quality of students churns out year after year</span><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span></p> <p> <strong><span style="font-size: 12px;">Facilities</span></strong></p> <p> The learning environment at Ace Institute of Management is supported by facilities that provide comfort as well as easy access to information and knowledge. “Our computer laboratory is fully equipped and every student is provided with Internet access. Furthermore, the entire campus is Wi-Fi enabled facilitating Internet connection from anywhere,” says Tiwari. The library offers a wide range of magazines and journals and is currently well stocked with books related to the subjects covered during the degree. New publications are continuously being added to meet the demands of students. The library has also subscribed to a large range of management publications and journals. Participants in the programmes require an adequate knowledge of computing. The computer centre provides computing facilities to the students from 8:00a.m. to 8:30 p.m. every day, except on Saturdays and Sundays. The computer centre also carries out non-credit courses for beginners. In addition, there is a canteen which offers high quality food and snacks at reasonable prices.</p> <p> <img alt="Ace Institute of Management, ACE" height="377" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_may2013_ace_institute_of_management.jpg" width="580" /></p> <p> </p> <p> <strong>Academic Programmes</strong></p> <ul> <li> EMBA Programme</li> <li> MBA Programme</li> <li> BBA-BI Programme</li> <li> A-Level Programme</li> <li> MBAe Programme </li> </ul> <p> <strong>Vision</strong></p> <ul> <li> Enhance the capacity of individuals and institutions in Nepal to contribute to the nation’s development</li> </ul> <p> <strong>Mission</strong></p> <ul> <li> Promote a learning environment where individuals rediscover themselves and learn to be thoughtful and responsible managers, leaders, and entrepreneurs</li> <li> Promote entrepreneurship and professionalism by assisting entrepreneurs and institutions in acquiring and managing resources effectively</li> </ul> <p> <strong>Philosophy</strong></p> <ul> <li> We believe that one can never learn enough. Learning is a life-long process</li> <li> We believe that knowledge is much more beneficial when accompanied by wisdom and humility</li> <li> We believe that each one of us learns differently and that no particular approach is superior to another</li> <li> We believe that every individual is capable of contributing towards a positive social synergy </li> <li> We believe that we achieve and accomplish more when we compete with self and cooperate with others</li> </ul> <p> <strong>Values</strong></p> <ul> <li> Honesty in work</li> <li> Sincerity in relationships</li> <li> Respect for self and others</li> <li> Responsibility for one’s actions</li> <li> Learning from mistakes</li> <li> Care for resources</li> <li> Adherence to regulations</li> <li> Questioning spirit</li> </ul> <div> <img alt="Ace Institute of Managment, ACE" height="244" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/business_education_may2013_ace_institute_of_management(1).jpg" width="590" /></div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2013-05-19', 'modified' => '2013-06-06', 'keywords' => 'Learning Has to Go Much Beyond the Classroom', 'description' => 'Based in excellence and quality, the institution has become successful establishing itself as one of the leading institutions enhancing the capacity of the students.', 'sortorder' => '855', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
| Currency | Unit |
Buy | Sell |
| U.S. Dollar | 1 | 121.23 | 121.83 |
| European Euro | 1 | 131.65 | 132.31 |
| UK Pound Sterling | 1 | 142.47 | 143.18 |
| Swiss Franc | 1 | 124.29 | 124.90 |
| Australian Dollar | 1 | 71.69 | 72.05 |
| Canadian Dollar | 1 | 83.90 | 84.32 |
| Japanese Yen | 10 | 10.94 | 11.00 |
| Chinese Yuan | 1 | 17.17 | 17.26 |
| Saudi Arabian Riyal | 1 | 32.27 | 32.43 |
| UAE Dirham | 1 | 33.01 | 33.17 |
| Malaysian Ringgit | 1 | 27.36 | 27.50 |
| South Korean Won | 100 | 9.77 | 9.82 |
Update: 2020-03-25 | Source: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB)
| Fine Gold | 1 tola | 77000.00 |
| Tejabi Gold | 1 tola | 76700.00 |
| Silver | 1 tola | 720.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
Source: Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association
| Petrol | 1 Liter | 106.00 |
| Diesel | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| Kerosene | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| LP Gas | 1 Cylinder | 1375.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
