University - Government Collaboration

Two years ago, the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford began developing a vaccine for Corona Virus Disease. Later, AstraZeneca joined in the institute's quest, leading to the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. This example underscores the potential for educational institutions to make significant contributions to society if they are properly shaped up towards the same. Since the history of university education in Nepal is relatively new, the country is yet to fully capitalize on the potential of its educational institutions. However, a strategic collaboration between Nepal’s governmental bodies and educational institutions and universities could empower them to deliver substantial and transformative outcomes, exceeding their current level of performance, while also increasing the efficiency of government activities.

Educational institutions, particularly universities, serve as centers for producing and disseminating knowledge. They not only educate and train individuals, but also advance the frontiers of knowledge by conducting research and supporting innovators. As educational institutions receive investment in form of budgets, grants, and concessions from government, it is important that these institutions are operationalized to serve the people and the country in multitude of ways. By collaborating with educational institutions, governments can derive plethora of benefits and can play a key role in catalyzing a transformation leading to reform in education.

 University-government collaborations can be achieved in various ways, but encouraging universities to become centers of innovation is the most critical way to foster such collaboration. Although it may be a distant dream for Nepal to produce innovations on a par with the Jenner Institute, universities in Nepal possess the potential to advance research and innovation on behalf of the country. Using universities to drive innovations would allow the government to leverage the experience and expertise of teachers and the enthusiasm and agility of students. Rather than establishing numerous redundant research agencies, the government should consider bundling research and education for better efficacy in innovative researches.

Another way in which universities can support the government is by offering consulting services. With the introduction of federalism in Nepal, significant responsibility pertaining to service delivery, governance and development has shifted to the shoulders of the local and provincial government. As lawmakers and people’s representatives may not necessarily have technical expertise, educational institutions can serve as a go-to think tanks in local and provincial level. While doing so, students and faculty members gain practical experience solving real problems, while the government is able to access expert advice at a lower cost. For example, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee's Department of Water Resources Development and Management (WRDM) has expertise in hydropower engineering, water resources management, and environmental impact assessment. The department has worked on several hydropower projects, providing services such as feasibility studies, detailed project reports, design and engineering, and project management.

Another way that the government can collaborate with educational institutions is by availing students and graduates to work as assistants or analysts in government institutions. This would enable students to become familiar with the government decision-making process early on. As a state whose operational expenditure are rising on account of high employee-related expenses, this arrangement may hold much potential for Nepal. In many countries, students with experience or research in relevant matters are often vetted and employed by government institutions allowing the corpus of bureaucracy to evolve and adapt to the changing times. Additionally, educational institutions can be made to be involved in voluntary programs primarily in coordination with the local level. This would allow students to work for solving real problems of common people in the country while receiving a chance to evaluate whether the knowledge they have amassed is practical and whether any practical aspects of their studies have been overlooked. An example of that would be law students volunteering in legal consultation to provide legal assistance to people who cannot afford to pay for it. Kathmandu Metropolitan City has entered into agreement with Nepal Law Campus to provide free legal consultation to people in the city’s ward offices. Similar approaches can be adopted by other government bodies to ensure better service delivery to general public.

The advantages of university-government collaboration are limitless for Nepal. Firstly, it will bring about greater discourse and discussion regarding major issues. And because more people are involved in the discussions, better ideas can emerge. Further, University-government collaboration may further enhance the culture of university-industry collaboration. Students in Nepal are often deprived of opportunities to witness the responsibilities they will bear in the future when they enter the workforce. As a result, they lack a connection with the country or the market and their issues, which is crucial for developing a better solutions to those issues. Collaboration between the government and educational institutions can provide a platform for students and faculty to work on real-world challenges faced by society, thereby building better understanding and connection with the country. This is vital in cultivating effective leaders and entrepreneurs who can solve our problems more efficiently.

Fortunately in Nepal, there are already some rudiments of University-Government collaboration in place. However, this system needs to be further developed and established as a norm all across the country. Kathmandu University has already been collaborating with several government and non-government entities within and is also a leader in research in hydrogen technology. Through government’s support, it can accomplish even more remarkable feats. Similarly, Tribhuvan University has Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST), Centre for Energy Studies (CES), Centre for Water and Atmospheric Research (CEWAR), etc., all of which can also be empowered to take on a greater role. With the right strategy and investment, government may develop Nepal's universities as hubs for innovation and providers of high quality consulting services. However, small but relatively autonomous colleges may not possess the resources and ability to carry out technological innovate. Such institutions can focus on developing themselves as research centers for providing consultancy solutions. By doing this, our universities and educational institutions will be able to do what they are supposed to do in their entirety: produce and disseminate knowledge for betterment of country, rather than just serve as a conveyor belt of mass-producing graduates.

To foster University-Government Collaboration, the first step would be to encourage each educational institution offering university education to undertake at least one area in which they can gain distinction among other similar institutions. This way, governments at different levels will know exactly which institution to look to when it comes to receiving expertise, sourcing analysts, and volunteers in those subject areas. Additionally, governments may need to make policies for building capacities of educational institutions to be a part of such collaborations. Finally, government must ensure that the capacity of our educational institutions to innovate, consult and supply human resources is fairly utilized. Additionally, it is vital that the government prepares guidelines for justly compensating people involved in such activities for their efforts.

On the other hand, universities need to make efforts to timely update their curriculum to reflect recent changes. Some educational institutions may also require revamping their hiring strategies. Equally important will be to work to instill a research-oriented and practical approach in their teaching methodology and develop it as a culture. This would help students in developing an understanding of real-world problems and their responsibility towards solving them.

Although there are cultural barriers, such as rampant favoritism, decision making without evidence, spoon-feeding, and exam-oriented teaching methodologies, which may impede the success of collaboration between universities and the government in Nepal. But, if these challenges are managed successfully, it may yield substantial benefits to Nepal by simultaneously improving the effectiveness of government bodies in Nepal and enhancing the quality of education.