1. OPEN ACCESS INITIATIVES AND
CHALLENGES IN NEPAL
Dr. Roshan Karn

2. CURRENT EVENTS
• Open Access Nepal launched a 6 month long project
called “Open Access: Greater Reach for Research” in
2015
• All 5 development regions have been targeted for
this project
• Open Access advocacy campaigns are being done in
major universities and campuses within each
development region

3. Central Development
Region
Kathmandu University
Tribhuvan University
Agriculture and Forestry University
Eastern Development
Region
Purbancal University
B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences

4. Western Development
Region
Pokhara University
Pashimanchal Engineering Campus
Mid-Western Development
Region
Nepalgunj Medical College

5. Far Western Development
Region
Far Western University

6. • A team of 7 members travel to 2 universities at the
mid and end of each month
• It’s a 2 day event in each university
• Day1: Orientation about Open Access, Open
Educational Resources, Open Data and Open Access
Repository
• Day2: Workshops on topics such as Open Access
Advocacy at local level, OER, Open Policy, Finding
and Accessing Open Resources, Issues and
Challenges related to Open Access and Digital
Repository

7. CHALLENGES
• Major setback to the project due to the political crisis
• Travelling to universities outside the capital has been
impaired due to the continuous strikes in plain areas
• Economic blockade has caused a severe crisis of
petroleum products and fuel, strictly hampering our
mobility

8. FUTURE PLANS
• Organize a Regional South Asian Consultation on
“Open Access to Scientific Information and Research
– Concept and Policies” in Kathmandu in February,
2016 with support from the Government of Nepal,
UNESCO, EIFL, R2RC, INASP and GE2P2
• Develop Open Access repositories in Tribhuvan
University and Institute of Medicine
• Multiple open events scheduled for the month of
December

9. • Open Access Nepal has been assigned the task of
establishing open repositories in member countries
of South Asia through assistance from UNESCO
• Organize a national conference

19. Thank you