Associate Prof. Dr. Dayaraj Dhakal has been serving in Pokhara University as Dean of Management Faculty since last 19 years. Dr. Dhakal has worked as a visiting professor at several universities of Europe. He proclaims that the management programs of Pokhara University are excellent, salable and market-oriented. Excerpts:
Could you share with us why you adopted academic field as your sustainable career?
Academic sector is a dynamic field where everyone has to be updated with the trend of global society and ongoing current affairs. Since I prefer updating myself in every ongoing situation, I adopted academic field as my career.
As the Dean of the Faculty of Management of Pokhara University, How do you analyze the management education in the current scenario?
Management education has rendered a huge charm to people involved in household chores to corporate houses and from local society to global society for handling their specific responsibilities effectively and moving ahead successfully. Not only this, it also offers all necessary tools to equip one with the necessary techniques of successfully handling various issues concerned with business and management. Moreover, it also provides ability to use the contingency approach for solving business problems and develops leadership skills to get acquainted with corporate etiquette. So, management education has huge demand and necessity in the present days.
What differences are found between a person with management education and another from a distinctive discipline whilst running a business?
There is a vast difference to run a business by a person with management education. An entrepreneur with management education acquires both theoretical knowledge and practical skill required to run a business successfully. We conduct various seminars, workshops, projects and case studies and role play and enable them to improve their managerial as well as problem-solving skills. It develops interpersonal skills of a person who is in the path to become an effective managerial leader and business owner. Similarly, the management education provides students a valuable opportunity to explore their interests and convert their drawbacks into strengths along with better business plans that can persuade financial institutions and investors with their ideas. They will have greater ideas to analyze the ongoing market trends and embark on necessary steps. However, all these things are found really lacking in entrepreneurs from other sectors. We have real evidence that almost all renowned businesspersons in the world, such as Ratan Tata of TATA Company, Bill Gates etc. are from the management field who have earned their recognition peak in the field of entrepreneurship.
What fundamental differences are found between the management education of Pokhara University and that of other Universities?
The main aim of establishing Pokhara University is to impart quality education analyzing the demand of the current market. So, the Pokhara University Act was introduced to run global market demanded courses. We have launched timely updated courses which are prepared by analyzing the global market trends. Not only this, we impart proactive education focusing on practical orientation. For an instance, role play, case study in real situation, workshops, seminars and internship enable our students to compete in their chosen professional fields. Since the management education of Pokhara University empirical and life-changing, none of our graduates are unemployed till the date.
Have you ever done any research on the demand of the market while updating the University syllabi? What is the status of your products in the employment sector?
We regularly conduct market surveys and research before updating the course. Our significant feature is updating timely courses according to the feedback of the market through research. Our products are competitive and creative. We frequently conduct our survey on employment pursuits and successes of our graduates, and we have found that most of them are either employed by top-notch business houses or are reputed entrepreneurs. Our university graduates as employees have escalated their employment status up to CEO level in A Class commercial banks. There is a high demand of our products in the market. To be true, there is a higher demand than supply of our products in various companies.
Since you have been in the position as Dean of the Faculty of Management, what are your strategic plans to make this department more competitive and globally acclaimed than ever?
I am not highly ambitious but more realistic in terms of programs we offer. So, our department has made the following strategic plans for strengthening its status quo:
- Launching MPhil to leading PhD program
- Updating the University syllabi every five years analyzing the global market
- Establishing research cell in every affiliated as well as constituent college with an integrated approach and publishing the research work by the University for the public.
- Strengthening all 48 colleges with a caring and sharing principle.
- Making the department and university as the top-notch Academic Centre for higher studies and research
How many students are currently pursuing management course in all 49 colleges? What kind of environment have you maintained for the assurance of quality education?
All in all, as many as 30-31 thousand students are pursuing management study in the 49 constituent and affiliated colleges and the colleges of Pokhara university. We have created a congenial environment for the assurance of quality education which could be corroborated with the following facts.
a) Timely-updated syllabi
b) Positive feedback of the pass out students
c) Provision of international standard quality
d) All our graduated students are either entrepreneurs or employees in top-notch corporate houses
e) Effective stewardship with proper coordination and teamwork among Vice chancellor, Registrar, Dean, etc.
In the current situation, there is an increasing trend of students going overseas in the name of foreign studies upon halting their ongoing bachelor level study in Nepal. Has Pokhara University embarked on any effective measures to curtail this trend?
It’s been a long time that there is an unhealthy competition among Nepalese students going to foreign lands for foreign (higher) studies, which is not conducive for the nation’s economy. I have been working with many foreign universities as a visiting lecturer where I have found that there is more qualitative education in Nepalese and Indian universities than in other nations. We have been organizing several seminars and workshops to convey the message to students and guardians that Pokhara University ensures world-class quality education. So, we disseminate the message to students by organizing seminars and workshop in order to change their mindset that they can earn quality education and embrace more opportunities in Nepal than in foreign lands. In this regard, such activities have conveyed the message among the parents and students that Pokhara University is an ultimate resort for acquiring world-class education.
What message would you like to convey to the aspirants of management education to instill in them the best facets of Pokhara University for such education?
All constituent and affiliated colleges of Pokhara University have highly qualified faculty members who impart quality education at their best level of expertise and experience. We impart life-changing education which is hands-on and focuses on both theoretical and practical orientation transforming our graduates from amateurs to competitive and employable workforce. So, I assure them that management education is the best course of Pokhara University, and our students will grab a life-transforming privilege at Pokhara University.
