Nepali-Korea Education Cooperations on Rise

Kathmandu, Nepal — As South Korea emerges as a prime destination for education among those from Asian nations, many of Nepal's universities have established bilateral academic relations with Korean universities.

The Korean government's decision to increase its scholarships for foreign students could be one reason Korea is emerging as an educational hub. More Nepali students are lining up to learn Korean at educational institutions here.

Bishow Bhasha Campus, a university here that runs many language classes including Korean, now has a steady flow of students who desire to learn Korean.

Other private education centers have also been placing high priority on teaching Korean.

Recently, Tribhuvan University (TU), the largest and most trusted university in Nepal and Duksung Women´s University in Korea established ties.

University teachers and students organized a function at the Tribhuvan campus in Kirtipur, Kathmandu last week to mark the establishment of ties between the two institutions.

Representatives from both sides exchanged gifts at the event.

This was not the first time Nepalese and Korean universities have established a relationship. TU, the largest of Nepal's government-supported universities already has bilateral agreements with nine South Korean schools, including Yonsei University and Samchok National University.

Under the agreements, both sides hold regular exchanges of students.

The private Pokhara University has also signed MOUs with three Korean Universites - Dongguk, Yeugnam, Yonsei.

Yet another example is the College of Journalism and Mass Communication, which is planning to collaborate with Dongseo University of Korea for a student exchange and visual communication program.

Apart from this, Korea is trying to attract Nepali students for higher education.

At the end of the November, the National Institute of International Education Development (NIIED) and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of Korea held an education fair titled "Study in Korea, 2009," targeting Nepalese students. The fair provided opportunities to explore a variety of avenues of studying in Korea and other academic and educational systems of Korea to the Nepalese students.

According to the Society of Nepalese Students in Korea (SONSIK), hundreds of Nepali students are currently studying at more than two dozen Korean universities.