Dr. Nar Bahadur Bista
Principal/MD, Uniglobe College
Uniglobe College, established in 2009 in affiliation to Pokhara University, is one of the leading business colleges in Nepal. It offers four programs in bachelor and master levels: BBA, BBA-BI, MBA and MBA Finance. Therefore, it has established itself as one of the exemplary management colleges of Nepal in 10 years’ time. Currently, about 7000 students are studying under the Uniglobe network.
Dr. Nar Bahadur Bista is the Principal/Managing Director at Uniglobe College. Started his teaching career in 2000 AD, he has been successful in reaching the higher position to lead the team of the best management college in Nepal. The college is considered to be a center for academic excellence as it focuses on various types of skill development and entrepreneurship development programs, viz. communication skill, personality development and business plan so that these taught skills directly fit into the job market once the learners attain graduation and become excellent in their professions or successfully run their own enterprises. The college has recently been awarded the ‘Best Business School amidst Pokhara University Affiliated Colleges’ and the ‘2nd Best Business School amongst the Business Colleges in Nepal’. He shared his views on importance of managerial skills in the 21st Century that enable each learner to ensure their life and work balance perfectly. Excerpts:
Uniglobe College is one of well-established and leading business schools in Nepal. What are your plans as Chief that will surely escalate the renown of such a prestigious college?
It is my pride to be the responsible person of such a renowned institution. Indeed, it is one of the well-established and leading business schools in Nepal. It has recognition not only in Nepal but also in overseas countries for its widely acclaimed quality of education. The college has faced many obstacles and hurdles in the process of achieving a success. The students, teachers, parents, well-wishers and management team have made invaluable contributions to the escalation of this institution. The college ensures qualified and dedicated faculty members, rich physical infrastructure, and fecund academic culture, and it has been providing technical and logistic support to students. Similarly, the college has adopted continuous evaluation system for imparting quality education. In addition, the college organizes study-exchange programs with national and international academic institutions. We also invite guest lecturers from foreign Universities to share their ideas regarding international trends in education system. This could be true all these efforts have underpinned our successive steps and we are really privileged to share this with you.
What are your further plans to take the appellation of Uniglobe College to the international arena?
Uniglobe College has been organizing international conference every year in order to increase confidence level of students. Moreover, it is planning to send the students to foreign countries for in internship. We are intending to send our students for internship and for job placement to multi-national companies. Similarly, we are thinking of welcoming foreign students to study in Nepal. In fact, Nepal is able to impart globally accepted education at a low fee structure. We are confident that we can deliver the education of international standard and help our students expose their talents and skills to the global setting. We are working on a plan that will surely inspire students of India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and China to come to Nepal for higher studies with the help of consultancy offices and consultants in the same way Nepalese students are going abroad. Therefore, Uniglobe College can be recognized as the internationally acclaimed pioneering college for management studies.
Uniglobe College hosts an international conference every year. What can Nepalese students gain from such an international colloquium?
The main objective of such type of conference is to prepare and present research-based articles and to enhance research skills of our students. The selective research articles presented in the conference are published in international journals that help the college and students show their exposure to the global setting. In addition, such a conference can strengthen academic collaboration and enables us to maintain a good camaraderie with students of various colleges of foreign countries. However, in order to host such a conference, high efficiency of management is inevitable. Therefore, Uniglobe College is fully capable of organizing such an international event.
You’ve gained an experience of international education that possesses sterling benchmarks. In this regard, what differences have you found between the education system of Nepal and abroad? What are the areas that Nepalese Universities/ colleges should improve?
Truly speaking, the syllabi and course contents of Nepal are of high standards, but we lack practical exposure of students which has remained as stumbling-block for academic progress in the country. In other words, our curricula have been designed in such a way that focuses on theoretical knowledge and examinations results. Similarly, evaluation system is also customary, but in foreign countries practical exposure is given high priority and examination system is more practical and skill-oriented. In this regard, Uniglobe College has adopted foreign practice for both of its teaching and learning activities, and evaluation system. We are engulfed by the limitation of the universities for teaching and evaluation. Therefore, in order to fulfill these lacunae, we provide supplementary teaching and learning activities, such as exposure of our students to global scenario, study-exchange programs, research-based tutoring and hosting of international events to share our learned expertise amidst the participants.
Management curriculums have been prepared in Nepal as per international benchmarks. How is the latest trend of management education in Nepal?
In fact, management curriculums of Nepal are of international standard, equivalent to American standard. Our students can compete with any University students. It is urgent need to prepare the curriculums on the basis of the Nepali context too along with covering international issues.
Pokhara University has earned its fame and fortune in a short period of time. Could you tell us about its strength?
Pokhara University has implemented fully semester system teaching practice, grading system and hand-on teaching. The University has the scientific grading system with the interval of five marks. Similarly, the University has made the provision of not exceeding 25 percent marks between theoretical and practical fields. The most appealing strength of Pokhara University is that it has made a provision of rechecking the answer sheet. In this regard, students are given Xerox copies of their examined answer sheets if they wish to see them through a systematic process.
In recent times, there is a dispute on the issue relating to entrance examination which is controlled by the University’s central office, but its affiliated colleges are seeking their autonomy in conducting such an examination. What is your view on this issue?
As we are applying the international practice, all colleges are given autonomy for conducting entrance preparation classes and evaluation. In foreign countries, professors are fully responsible with sole authority for evaluating students’ academic activities. With regard to this practice, it is not good to conduct entrance exams by the center and the colleges should be provided autonomy. Nonetheless, the respective college and professors should be strict and judicious enough to do fair evaluation of their pupils. The ethical boundary should be strict in the context of Nepal so that the professors and the college cannot misuse their autonomous power.
Several education fairs have been organized in Nepal highlighting the importance and advantages of pursuing bachelor programs in Nepal. In your opinion, why should students continue their bachelor education in Nepal when they have plethoras of choices worldwide?
Some appealing factors, such as course contents, faculty members and usage of technology in teaching and learning activities incorporate international benchmarks by most of private colleges in Nepal. Therefore, the private colleges in Nepal are imparting globally accepted quality education at an affordable fee structure. Likewise, ten-plus-two graduates are juveniles and cannot adjust themselves in a foreign land as there are many issues intertwined with their survival there. That is, they do not get parental care and protection in an untraveled land. Similarly, those students have to consider food and accommodation amenities which are very hard to manage without their guardians. But if they study in Nepal, they do not have to worry about all these factors. So, they should pursue their bachelor level education in Nepal.
You have been elected the vice president of OPEN. How the new committee will promote wider coordination between Pokhara University and its affiliated colleges for their status uplift?
In my opinion, there should be a cordial relationship between the University and its affiliated colleges. In addition, the University should be strict in supervision and monitoring for quality enhancement of its affiliated colleges. Similarly, the University should conduct training sessions and acknowledge the contributions of faculty members teaching at private colleges without any disparities as it does to the teachers of its constituent colleges.
What suggestions would you like to give ten-plus-two graduates who are in quest for their bachelor education?
Most private colleges in Nepal are fully capable of providing international standards in their teaching and learning activities with a minimal fee structure, and Uniglobe College is one of them. So, I suggest those ten-plus-two graduates they pursue their bachelor education in the native land. I therefore advise them to visit Uniglobe College for the assurance of their appealing career.
