Bigyan Shrestha
Chairman
Softwarica College of IT and E-Commerce
Softwarica had been established as a training institute with an objective to motivate youths for their professional entailment in information and technology and to expand the approach of youths to global opportunity in IT field. The training institute was converted into an IT College as Softwarica College of IT and E-Commerce in order to prepare Nepalese techno-savvy with abundant technological skills that can compete in global economy without any fear of losing.
Bigyan Shrestha is the Chairperson at Softwarica College of IT and E-Commerce— a pure IT college which offers B.Sc. (Hons.) Ethical Hacking Cyber Security and B.Sc. (Hons.), Computing, affiliated to Coventry University of UK. Softwarica College is the first one in Nepal to introduce Ethical Hacking Cyber Security course. Mr. Shrestha who is the Secretary of IEPAN was caught up with College Readers and he shared his views. Excerpts:
You have been running international IT courses in Nepal for a long time. How is the present status of IT education in Nepal?
Information and technology has a variety of branches. It serves a wide range of knowledge to learners of information and technology. In the recent days, an optimal focus has been given on the specialization of information and technology sector. Our college offers the specialized courses of IT and is the first college in Nepal to run B.Sc. (Hons.) in Ethical hacking Cyber Security course. The world is not only entering the digital system but also facing various cyber security threats. Nepal is facing various cyber security threats too. Due to the growing number of cyber security threats globally, most countries in the world are facing various problems in day to day life. The security of countries and its governing system have been threatened due to the increment in cyber security crimes. So, with the view to manage cyber security threats in a proper way, expert human resources are required in a large number. To acknowledge this need, we have been offering B.Sc. (Hons.) in Ethical hacking Cyber Security. The human resources that we are producing here are contributing significantly to controlling the threats of cyber security.
What differences can we find between the programs of National University and Foreign University?
Most colleges, which are affiliated to national Universities, offer general courses of information and technology, but foreign University affiliated colleges offer specialized courses in information and technology. In fact, information and technology has diversified courses. Nonetheless, our college has been offering specialized IT course that provides in-depth knowledge and skills of a specific branch of information and technology. The course has been recognized globally. In this regard, the human resources we produce here can be employable globally.
In your opinion, why should the specific branch of IT courses should be taught in Nepal?
IT sector has become an inevitable facet of human life globally. Our day to day life cannot run being isolated from it. In the present context, we have experienced that many backs and government offices were continuously hacked which created serious threats to socio- economic and administrative sector in Nepal. Therefore, in order to control hacking in banking sector and protect each transaction from being hacked, a large number of human resources in this field are required. So, to fulfill the demand of human resources in cyber security sector, we have been producing skilled human resources from this syllabus. In addition, this course enables a variety of job opportunities inside the country and beyond.
What are the distinct features of Softwarica College of IT and E-Commerce?
It is purely an IT college that helps learners seize a wealth of opportunities in IT sector. It has created a proper platform and environment for learning information and technology in depth. The college is running by a team of IT experts. It has managed to recruit well-qualified instructor to impart internationally acclaimed education. The college is affiliated to Coventry University, UK which is a high ranking University in the world. Our college offers two programs, namely B.Sc. (Hons.) in Computing and B.Sc. (Hons.) in Ethical Hacking Cyber Security. These courses are the world’s top courses in terms of their benchmarks. Since the world is entering the digital world, human resources regarding this sector have high demand in the global market. We have been producing and supplying skilled human resources to this sector.
How is the performance of your products in the global market?
We have produced highly qualified graduates who have shown their phenomenal performance in various IT companies. Not only this, many of them have become entrepreneurs and created job opportunities for unemployed people in the country.
In your experience, which courses of IT have more demand in Nepalese market?
Nepal is in the nascent stage of digital world and we need a large number of human resources in information and technology. It incorporates a variety of courses that have high prospects in the digitized world. In my experience, the cyber security has become a great threat and challenge not only for Nepal but also for the world. So, in the context of Nepal, the human resources regarding this sector are rare to find.
Despite many convincing programs launched by private institutions in Nepal, the trend of ten-plus-two graduates leaving the country in pursuit of good life and permanent settlement in a foreign land has not diminished at all. In this regard, as the Secretary of IEPAN and the Chairperson of Softwarica College of IT and E-Commerce, what suggestions would you like to give to such a type of students?
Students have a variety of choices for higher studies in any countries in the world. Some students go to foreign swathes for their higher studies with an aim to receive globally acclaimed education. But all the students who are interested in receiving such a qualification are not financially strong. So, we have provided an option to those students who want to receive an international degree from their native land. And we infer that we are proving globally validated international course at low fee structure. So, as secretary of IPAN and the CEO of this college, I express my commitment to provide international degree to career hopefuls with less cumbersome fee structure. For this, local Universities, foreign Universities, Nepal government and IPAN should work together for the enhancement of quality of education in Nepal. Our collective efforts can transform Nepal into a destination for world-ranking education not only for Nepalese students but also for students from any nook and corner of the world.
