Dr Chi H Truong, Himalayan University Consortium and Prof Dr Krishna Raj Tiwari, Institute of Forestry, Tribhuvan University

1. Himalayan University Consortium
at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
Kathmandu, Nepal
Why Mountain-Specific Curricula in
the Hindu Kush Himalaya? A Case of
Nepal’s Higher Education
Dr Chi H Truong, Himalayan University Consortium
Prof Dr Krishna Raj Tiwari, Institute of Forestry, Tribhuvan University
e-presented at Conference on Agricultural Extension in the Uplands
of Myanmar, Yangon, 20 Nov 2018

2. Structure of presentation
• Higher education’s relevance, graduate competences, and graduate
employability in upland context
• The need for mountain perspective in HE research and training
• Global outlook of mountain-focused curricula
• The state of mountain-focused curricula in Nepal’s HE
• Conclusion

3. Higher Education’s
Relevance
Graduate
Employability
Graduate
Competences
Quality, Value,
Characters,
Identity
Direct connection
to local economy
& society
• Career specific
knowledge & skills
• Soft skills
• Positive attitude/
commitment
• Capacity to
obtain or create
employment
HE’s MISSION
Create a high-quality work force in service of
socio-economic development
& betterment of well-being of people and
communities.

4. Why mountain perspective?
• The strategic importance of mountain/upland for the lowland and for the
country
• natural resources: water, land, biodiversity
• cultural diversity
• Lowland or external perspectives have proven inappropriate and
ineffective for socio-economic development in the upland
• Incorporation of mountain and indigenous perspective is key to
sustainable upland development

5. Why mountain-focused program on Sustainable Mountain
Development (SMD)?
• In 1992, Chapter 13 of Agenda 21 Managing Fragile Ecosystems: SMD at the UN Conference
on Environment and Development was a milestone in the history of SMD.
• The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region is one of the largest and most assorted mountain
settings in the world and inhabited by more than 210 million people.
• In addition, 1.3 billion people living in the downstream areas depend on the ecosystem goods
and services flowing from the region.
• Despite increased recognition of mountain issues: poverty, environmental degradation and
attaining SD in Mountain regions in challenges.
• Recent changing context of mountain region such as climate change, disaster, socioeconomic
condition, unemployment and migration exacerbate problems.

6. Why Higher Education for SMD?
• Limited technology advancement, gap in mountain specific problems, highly variability in the
region there is a need to train high skill human resources.
• There is a need to update scientific understanding and enhance in-depth knowledge in
mountain specific natural resource management and livelihood of mountain communities
through HE and research
•  HE in mountain study program should produce well-trained and practically equipped human
resources in the field of mountain specific subject who can address the growing needs and
interests of SDM of the region through quality education in mountain ecosystem management.

7. Mountain Studies Program in the World
Specific programs
• Sustainable Mountain Studies (Highland/Island University-UK)
• Mountain Studies (The University of Tsukuba, Japan)
• Mountain Forestry (BOKU-Austria)
• Online MSc in Managing Sustainable Mountain and RD (UHI- Millennium Institute-UK)
Others Courses
• Yale School of Forestry and Environment Studies (Himalayan Diversity)
• Environment Mgt in Mountain Area (Sus. Dev. Mountain) 10 credit- University of Liedia de
Buisa- Italy/ Free University- Austria
• Switzerland- University – Mountain and Tourism courses
• Mountain Studies course- University of Montana
• Mountain study course offer- University of Alberta,Canada

8. Mountain related courses in the Hindu
Kush Himalaya
• More than 60 academic institutions under the HUC also offered different
mountain related courses at Bachelors and Masters level
• Society and culture, ethnic study, Gender issue
• Energy and water, Hydrology DRR, Climate Change,
• Geography, Geology, Environmental Sc.
• Sustainable Mountain Development
• Agriculture/ Livestock and Forestry related courses
• Farming system, Soil conservation and Watershed Mgt.
• Mountain Livelihood, Ecotourism, Rangeland Mgt, Political ecology,
Resource economics, Glaciology

9. Mountain specific HE program in Nepal
• Mountaineering Study (Bachelor Program)
• TU affiliated campus (Faculty of Mgt-Supported by Min. of Tourism)
• Course focus on mountaineering and tourism
• Mountain Tourism (Bachelors program) TU affiliated
• MSc Glaciology by Research (Kathmandu University)
• MSc in Mountain Environment and Development Studies (TU)
• New program approved offer from Institute of Forestry, Curricula developing
process, Program offer coming soon.
• The objective of this Mountain study is making regionalizing program. Its
interdisciplinary course that address mountain specific issues and solution.

10. Mountain Related Program in Nepal
Program
Watershed Management (IOF)
Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation
Natural Resource Management and RD
Forestry Some Mountain focused Courses in Nepal
Agriculture Sc Mountain Environment and Development
Animal Sc/Vet Mountain Risk and Engineering
Horticulture Sc Mountain Environment
Integrated Water Res. Mgt. Mountain Ecology
Development Studies Sustainable Development in the Himalayas
Environmental Sc
Multidisciplinary: Sustainable Development
Biodiversity and Environment Management
Rural Development
Climate Change and Development
Disaster Risk Mgt
Tourism Management

11. MSc. Mountain Environment & Development Studies
Tribhuvan University
Core Courses Subjects Credit hour
Mountain Physical Dimension Mountain Environment: Geomorphology, Geography, Hydrology/Glaciology, Ecosystem and
Biodiversity
6
Mountain Human Dimension:
1.Human Driving Forces ,
2.Societal Responses
a. Population, and demographic processes, b. Poverty and economic processes, c. Institutions
and social processes, d. Political ecology together with Social and Cultural Ecological Dynamics
b. . Risks Hazards, Disasters, Vulnerability and Adaptation dynamics, b. Institutional Change and societal
learning, c. Technology
6
Mountain Policy and
Institutions Dimension
Mountain Agenda; Local, National and Int. Institutions ; legal conventions, treaty, SDG. Mountain SD
policy in Nepal
3
Total Core 15
Applied Courses
1. Integrated Watershed Management (3)
2. Mountain Biodiversity and Landscape Management (3)
3. Global Environmental Change ( Climate Change) (2)
4. Ecotourism planning and development (2)
5. Mountain entrepreneurship development (2)
6. Natural Resource Economics (3)
7. Statistical Analysis/ Research method (3)
8. RS/GIS application in Mountain resources (3)
21
Elective Courses 1. Range Management
2. Agroforestry
3. Nontimber Forest Products/ Medicinal plants/ Others ????? (Any two)
6
Seminar Research Thesis Seminar (2); Thesis (10) 12
Total Credit 54

12. Opportunities and Challenges in Mountain
Studies
Opportunities
• Need-based program
• Mountain priority HKH region
• Program highlight mountain important
• HKH region university students may enroll
• HKH region faculty joint teaching and research
• International link
• Trained Human resources (Sustainable Mountain dev,
Livelihood Improvement, employment generation)
contribute)
• Self sustain the program
Challenges
• Decreasing Budget in HE ( about 1 % total budget)
• Resource constraints for quality education
• Globalization and competitive
• Limited Technology on mountain
• Natural resource Based economy
• Market driven meet
• Limited Mountain specific programs and courses
• High Variability
• Privatization (fee expensive)

13. Conclusion
• Mountain specific programs and courses are limited in HE in the HKH region.
• The program should be interdisciplinary and specific that cover mountain ecosystem
management, socio-cultural aspects and entrepreneurship development.
• Well-trained and practically-equipped human resources in the field of mountain studies who can
provide services according to the needs of various clients such as government, semi-government,
NGOs and private sectors.
• Well-trained human resources are self-reliant and practically oriented resource managers who can
initiate their own enterprises and research in the field of SMD.
• SMD in HE study program should run through joint teaching, research and faculty/student
exchange, coordinate among the HUC members as a regionalized program

14. Thank You 14