Dhan Prasad Paudyal
National College of Engineering, established in 2058BS, is a Tribhuvan University affiliate college. Since the new team took over its administration in 2065 BS, the college has been in the path of appealing academic and infrastructural progresses. Currently, it offers four programs in engineering: Civil, Computer, Electrical and Electronics, Communication and Information.
Dhan Prasad Paudyal is the CEO at National College of Engineering. Mr. Paudyal claims that NCE has succeeded in transforming itself as a prototype engineering college for its academic excellence and physical infrastructure. Excerpts:
Your 30 years’ entailment in engineering field in Nepal shows that you’ve acquired sufficient experience of engineering education. In this regard, what is the current status of engineering education in Nepal?
Engineering education has been badly affected by disgraceful political activities in the premises of most engineering campuses in Nepal. Political party unions are creating insurmountable disturbances in smooth running of educational activities in engineering colleges in Nepal. In my perspectives, the quality of engineering education has dramatically plummeted after 2062/63 BS despite the increasing number of engineering colleges in Nepal.
In your opinion, why engineering should be studied in Nepal?
In Nepal, school education in imparted under strict discipline. Students are not able to control by themselves due to the culture of studying under such strict discipline which incorporates extreme care of the institution and the parents. If those students go to foreign lands for higher studies, many of them could not be able to work independently and be victims of homesickness. Subsequently, such students cannot adjust themselves in the Nepalese context upon completing their course, too. On the contrary, if students pursue their higher education in Nepal, they can adjust and feel comfortable with any types of work within the country and beyond. Nepalese universities/ colleges provide globally accepted education; as a result, Nepalese engineers are able to work in any parts of the world. Moreover, students who have studied in Nepal are able to conquer the council exam for a valid license. But it will be very difficult for the students who have studied at foreign universities. Similarly, Nepalese colleges have been imparting quality education that can be afforded by each learner, which incorporates 10% of scholarship for the total enrollees. Eventually, engineers can contribute to nation building after completing their study easily. Due to these reasons, engineering education should be studied in Nepal.
There is a huge rate of drop out students in engineering education in Nepal. In your opinion, what should be done to diminish this alarming rate?
Reasons are many that result in quitting the education in the middle of tenure by engineering students in Nepal. Some students get a rare privilege of scholarship by a foreign university; as a result, they discontinue their study beforehand. Similarly, some students pursue engineering education due to peer pressure and pressure from their parents. So, they give up in the middle of the session. In this regard, in order to diminish the dropout rate of engineering students in Nepal, students should choose the subject analyzing their interest and capacity.
How do you acknowledge the achievement of National College of Engineering graduates?
National College of Engineering is a well-recognized and well-established college in the field of engineering education in Nepal which has been imparting quality education since its inception. It has shown outstanding results in engineering education. Our students have shown their jaw-dropping performance in both job landing sectors and their higher studies. In this regard, none of our graduates are dilly-dallying in search of job opportunities; as a result, they have achieved remarkable successes in governmental and non-governmental organization in the country. Many of them have got reputed positions in foreign countries and have achieved scholarship opportunities at many reputed universities abroad.
What are the distinct features of National College of Engineering?
National College of Engineering has been managed and run by the experts and academic professionals. The shareholders have purchased some properties in the name of the institution. Although it is run with a private investment, all the properties are of the college itself which elongates in 8 ropanies of land. Moreover, the college owns modern buildings that incorporate capacious classrooms, cutting-edge laboratories, a resourceful library and a spacious auditorium hall. In addition, the institution has spacious playgrounds for a range of outdoor sports and games. Similarly, it has managed to recruit highly qualified, dedicated and experienced faculty members who have maintained convincing academic environment. The learners are happy to acquire education in a serene and tranquil environment.
What suggestions would you like to give graduates of ten-plus-two level?
Competency in mathematics is a fundamental thing for engineering students. Similarly, they should have competency in physics, too. In this regard, students themselves should analyze their inherent quality and capability for acquiring engineering education. In addition, while choosing a right college, students should analyze its background, founders, physical facilities and academic environment. I, therefore, suggest them they visit National College of Engineering to acquire all available facilities for their engineering education in a serene environment that strengthen their critical thinking and creative ideas in order to succeed in this competitive world.
